📋 Source: 체류민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼 (March 2026, p.298–305) — Ministry of Justice, Korea
Before spending months preparing your K-Point score and documents, there’s a critical question you need to answer first: does your current employer actually qualify to sponsor an E-7-4 visa?
Many E-7-4 applications are delayed or rejected not because of the applicant’s score — but because the employer fails to meet one of the basic eligibility conditions. This guide explains every employer requirement in plain English, with the official rules and the most common Q&A from the March 2026 immigration manual.
1. Basic Eligibility Conditions
📋 Source: 체류민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼, March 2026, p.300
For a Korean company to sponsor an E-7-4 visa, it must meet one core condition above all else: the company must currently employ at least one foreign worker under E-9, E-10, or H-2 status in normal, legal employment.
📋 Core Employer Eligibility Condition (Official)
The workplace must currently have at least 1 foreign worker employed under E-9, E-10, or H-2 status — in normal, legal employment — at the time of the E-7-4 application. This is a mandatory gate condition. Companies that have already transitioned all their E-9/H-2 workers to other statuses may not have an active E-9/E-10/H-2 worker and may therefore fail this condition.
In addition to this core condition, the employer must:
- Operate within a qualifying E-7-4 industry (manufacturing, construction, agriculture, fisheries, or related sectors)
- Have no outstanding national or local tax delinquency
- Stay within the allowed quota of E-7-4 workers (see Section 2)
- Have employed the applicant for at least 1 year to issue a recommendation
2. The 30% Quota Rule — Explained
📋 Source: 체류민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼, March 2026, p.300
Every company has a maximum number of E-7-4 workers it can employ at any given time. This is called the quota, and it is calculated as a percentage of the company’s Korean employees.
Maximum E-7-4 workers: 30% of Korean employees
Who counts as “Korean employees”: Korean nationals enrolled in employment insurance for 3+ months at the company, earning minimum wage or above
Rounding: Decimals are rounded up (e.g., 30% of 7 = 2.1 → rounds up to 3)
Minimum: Companies currently employing E-9 or E-10 workers can sponsor at least 1 E-7-4 worker regardless of the 30% calculation
Maximum E-7-4 workers: 50% of Korean employees
Applies to: Companies in designated depopulation areas (인구감소지역)
Also applies to: Root industry companies (뿌리산업)
Minimum: At least 2 E-7-4 workers if currently employing E-9/E-10 workers
📌 Which foreign workers count toward the quota?
The quota calculation only counts E-7-4 and E-7-4R workers as “foreign workers” for the purposes of the ceiling. Other foreign workers — including E-7 (non-E-7-4), E-9, E-10, H-2, F-2, F-4, F-5, and F-6 — are excluded from the count. This means a company can have many E-9 workers without them affecting the E-7-4 quota.
Construction Industry Special Rule
For construction companies, the quota is calculated differently — not based on employee headcount but on construction capacity:
🏗️ Construction quota formula (official)
Maximum E-7-4 workers = (Construction capacity evaluation amount OR average annual construction amount — whichever is chosen) × 0.4 per KRW 100 million, rounded up.
Example: A construction company with KRW 5 billion in construction capacity = 5,000,000,000 ÷ 100,000,000 × 0.4 = 20 workers maximum.
3. How to Calculate Your Employer’s Quota
Before applying, calculate whether your employer has quota space available. Here’s how:
| Step | Action | Example |
|---|
| Step 1 |
Count Korean employees enrolled in employment insurance for 3+ months, earning minimum wage+ |
Company has 15 qualifying Korean employees |
| Step 2 |
Multiply by 30% (or 50% if special rule applies), round up decimals |
15 × 30% = 4.5 → rounds up to 5 slots |
| Step 3 |
Count how many E-7-4 (or E-7-4R) workers the company currently employs |
Currently has 2 E-7-4 workers |
| Step 4 |
Subtract current E-7-4 count from maximum |
5 − 2 = 3 slots available ✅ |
⚠️ If the quota is full — what happens?
If your employer has already reached the maximum E-7-4 quota, you cannot apply until either: (a) an existing E-7-4 worker leaves the company, or (b) the company hires more Korean employees, which increases the quota. There is no exception to this rule — a full quota is a hard block on new E-7-4 applications from that employer.
4. Conditions That Disqualify an Employer
📋 Source: 체류민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼, March 2026, p.300
Even if an employer meets the basic conditions and has quota space, the following situations result in automatic disqualification:
| Disqualifying condition | Details | Can it be fixed? |
|---|
| National tax delinquency (국세 체납) |
Any unpaid national taxes at the time of application |
Yes — pay all outstanding taxes first, then apply |
| Local tax delinquency (지방세 체납) |
Any unpaid local (municipal/provincial) taxes |
Yes — same as above |
| Wage theft or human rights violations |
Employer has committed wage theft, violence, or other abuses after joining the recommendation system |
No — recommendation rights revoked immediately, banned for 5 years |
| Illegal employment of foreigners |
Employer found to have illegally employed foreign workers |
No — recommendation rights revoked immediately, banned for 5 years |
💡 Tax delinquency is the most common employer disqualifier
Before starting your E-7-4 application, ask your employer to verify their tax status. Both national tax (국세) and local tax (지방세) must be fully paid. Your employer can check their status at any National Tax Service (NTS) office or through Hometax (hometax.go.kr). Even a small unpaid amount — including late filing penalties — can block the entire application.
5. The Employer Recommendation System
📋 Source: 체류민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼, March 2026, p.298, 303–304
The employer recommendation (고용기업 추천) is simultaneously a mandatory eligibility requirement AND a 50-point bonus in the K-Point system. Your employer must issue this recommendation for your application to be valid.
How many workers can an employer recommend?
The number of recommendation slots is separate from the quota. An employer can recommend workers up to 20% of their total regular employees (상시근로자) — which is broader than the Korean-only count used for quota purposes.
📋 상시근로자 vs 국민고용인원 — the difference matters
- 상시근로자 (for recommendation limit): All workers enrolled in 4 major insurance for 3+ months, earning minimum wage+ — includes both Koreans AND foreign workers with legal work rights
- 국민고용인원 (for quota calculation): Korean nationals only enrolled in employment insurance for 3+ months, earning minimum wage+
Example: Company with 10 Korean employees + 5 E-9 workers = 15 상시근로자 → can recommend up to 3 workers (20% of 15). But quota is 30% of 10 Korean employees = 3 E-7-4 slots.
Recommendation revocation conditions
Once an employer joins the recommendation system, their recommendation rights can be revoked immediately if:
- Wage theft is discovered
- Violence or human rights violations against foreign workers occur
- Illegal employment of foreign workers is found
Revocation means the company loses all recommendation rights and is banned from recommending for 5 years. This also affects the status of workers they have already recommended — verify your employer’s record before applying.
6. Salary Requirements for the Employment Contract
📋 Source: 체류민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼, March 2026, p.302
| Sector | Minimum annual salary | Notes |
|---|
| General (manufacturing, construction, etc.) |
KRW 26,000,000/year |
Must be clearly stated in the employment contract |
| Agriculture, livestock |
KRW 25,000,000/year |
Reduced threshold for agricultural sector |
| Fisheries, inland shipping |
KRW 25,000,000/year |
Reduced threshold for fisheries sector |
📌 What counts toward the KRW 26M threshold?
The official manual clarifies: the KRW 26,000,000 is the total annual payment including base salary and all regular allowances. This is NOT limited to the base salary (통상임금) — fixed allowances are included. However, variable performance bonuses, overtime pay (if variable), non-taxable expense reimbursements (meal, transportation), and other irregular payments do not count. The contract must state working hours per day and per month to verify minimum wage compliance.
✅ 2026 minimum wage reference point
For context: the 2026 minimum wage is KRW 2,156,880/month × 12 = KRW 25,882,560/year. The E-7-4 minimum of KRW 26,000,000 is slightly above the annual minimum wage — so a standard full-time minimum wage job just barely falls short of the E-7-4 salary threshold. If your current salary is at or near minimum wage, discuss a contract adjustment with your employer before applying.
7. Official FAQ: Common Employer Questions
📋 Source: 체류민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼, March 2026, p.302–305 (자주 묻는 질문)
The employment contract — is there a required format?
Use the standard employment contract (표준근로계약서) sample provided as Attachment 9 (붙임9) in the official manual. The contract must explicitly state: (1) employment duration of at least 2 years, and (2) annual salary of KRW 26,000,000 or above. The start date of the contract should be written as the application date.
For the “1 year at current employer” recommendation requirement — does it have to be continuous?
No. If the worker previously worked at Company A, then moved to Company B, then returned to Company A — the time at Company A from both periods can be combined. As long as the past and current employer are the same company and the combined time totals 1 year or more, the requirement is met.
What is the definition of 상시근로자 (regular employees) for the recommendation quota calculation?
Regular employees (상시근로자) means all workers — both Korean and foreign nationals with legal work authorization — who are enrolled in the 4 major social insurance system for 3 or more months AND receive at least the legal minimum wage. Foreign workers such as E-9, H-2, or F-4 holders count toward this number.
For the 3-year continuous service bonus (현근무처 근속 가점) — does it need to be uninterrupted?
No. If the worker was at Company A for 1 year, moved away due to company closure or other circumstances not the worker’s fault, and then returned to Company A and has now been there another 2 years — the time can be combined to reach 3 years. The key condition is that the past and current employer are the same company.
Can the income certificate (소득금액증명원) be replaced with a pay stub or employment certificate?
In principle, only the National Tax Service (NTS)-issued Certificate of Income Amount (소득금액증명원) is accepted. However, until May of each year (when the previous year’s tax return processing is complete), the NTS certificate for the most recent year may not be available — in that case, the two years before can be substituted temporarily. After May, the most recent 2 years must be submitted.
Passport validity: what if the applicant’s passport expires soon?
If the remaining passport validity is less than 6 months, immigration will grant a stay period treating the passport as having 6 months of validity — but only once, and only if the required confirmation form (붙임10) is submitted. Note: the employment contract must still be for 2 years or more regardless of passport validity.
HiKorea online application — what are the hours and file requirements?
HiKorea electronic applications are available weekdays from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM (Korea time). Uploaded files must be 2MB or smaller, in JPG, BMP, PNG, TIF, or PDF format. Passport photos must be 95KB or smaller in JPG format only. For system inquiries, call 1345 (no area code needed).
8. Employer Eligibility Checklist
Use this checklist to verify your employer’s E-7-4 eligibility before starting the application process.
-
☐
Currently employs at least 1 E-9, E-10, or H-2 worker in legal, normal employment
This is the core gate condition. If the company has zero active E-9/E-10/H-2 workers, the application cannot proceed.
-
☐
Operates in a qualifying E-7-4 industry
Manufacturing (S700, S740), agriculture/fisheries (S610), or construction under the three E-7-4 occupation codes.
-
☐
Has quota space available (current E-7-4 count is below 30% of Korean employees)
Calculate: Korean employees × 30% (rounded up) minus current E-7-4 count. Must be ≥ 1.
-
☐
No outstanding national tax delinquency
Verified via 납세증명서 (NTS tax payment certificate). Must be fully paid before application.
-
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No outstanding local tax delinquency
Verified via 지방세납세증명서 (local tax payment certificate). Must be fully paid before application.
-
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Applicant has worked at this company for at least 1 year
Required for the employer recommendation. Non-consecutive periods at the same company can be combined.
-
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Employment contract states KRW 26,000,000+ annual salary (KRW 25,000,000 for agriculture/fisheries)
Must be fixed guaranteed salary including regular allowances. Variable bonuses and expense reimbursements excluded.
-
☐
Employment contract duration is at least 2 years from application date
Start date should be the application date. Contract must explicitly state the 2-year minimum duration.
-
☐
Company representative is willing and eligible to sign the recommendation letter
Only the company’s legal representative (대표자) can sign. Must use the official 붙임9 recommendation form with ID copy attached.
✅ All boxes checked? You’re ready to proceed
If your employer clears all nine conditions above, you can move forward with your K-Point score calculation and document preparation. Start with the employer documents first — they take the longest to prepare and are the most common source of application delays.
📋 Related guides in this series
Disclaimer: This article is based on the official March 2026 immigration manual. Employer eligibility conditions, quota rules, and salary thresholds are subject to change. Always verify current requirements at the
HiKorea portal or with a licensed immigration attorney before submitting your application.