E-7 Visa Korea Series — Part 4
There is no single E-7 document package that works for every applicant. Your checklist changes according to where you apply, your current status in Korea, your E-7 occupation and your employer.
This guide separates the three main filing routes so that an applicant and employer can prepare the correct baseline documents without treating every possible supporting document as universally required.
Reviewed on August 17, 2026 against the Ministry of Justice’s August 7, 2026 visa and residence manuals published on Hi Korea, especially the E-7 common-document and route-specific sections. The official notice warns that manual uploads can lag behind an instruction change. Confirm unusual or time-sensitive cases with the Immigration Contact Center at 1345 or the office handling your application.
Quick answer: choose your route before collecting documents
Start with one of the following routes. Then add documents required for your exact occupation and employer.
- Applying directly for a visa at a Korean embassy or consulate: follow that mission’s E-7 instructions and the current visa application form.
- Using a Confirmation of Visa Issuance: the Korean inviter or eligible representative applies through the competent immigration office or an available Visa Portal route.
- Changing status to E-7 inside Korea: use the residence-status-change route only if your current status and circumstances allow it.
Do not combine all three lists. A document that is standard for one route may be irrelevant, conditional or requested later in another.
Documents that appear in the E-7 common framework
The Ministry of Justice manuals divide the baseline between the foreign applicant and the Korean inviting employer. The exact form and supporting package still depend on the filing route.
| Prepared by the applicant | Prepared by the employer or inviter |
|---|---|
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The E-7 manuals contain occupation-specific qualification rules, employer conditions and additional documents. Immigration may also add or waive documents when reviewing authenticity and eligibility. University transcripts, insurance enrollment lists, financial statements, a company profile or proof of address should not be described as mandatory for every E-7 application unless the relevant occupation, route or handling office requires them.
Route 1: applying at a Korean embassy or consulate
Some E-7 cases can be filed directly with a Korean diplomatic mission, while other cases first use a Confirmation of Visa Issuance. The mission decides which route and documents apply under its delegated authority and local procedures.
Baseline preparation
- The current visa application form specified by the embassy or consulate
- Passport, standard photo and the locally required fee method
- Employment contract
- Employer-establishment documents
- Evidence of education, experience or qualifications required for the occupation
- Any occupation-specific or nationality-specific document listed by the mission
Check the mission’s own consular notice. Filing practices and local payment instructions can differ. This article does not replace the checklist published by the Korean embassy or consulate serving your place of residence.
Route 2: Confirmation of Visa Issuance
For this route, the application is submitted to the immigration office with jurisdiction over the inviter’s location. Who may file depends on whether the application is made through the office or an eligible online route. An online Visa Portal route is available only where the applicant and occupation meet the portal’s conditions. Check the current Korea Visa Portal guidance before assuming that an online filing is available.
Official common submission framework
- Application for Confirmation of Visa Issuance, Form 21, plus passport copy and standard photo
- Business or organization establishment documents
- Copy of the employment contract
- National and local tax payment certificates
- An invitation reason, foreign-worker utilization plan or other evidence showing the need for employment
- Evidence that the applicant satisfies the occupation’s qualification requirements
Add these only when applicable
- Employment recommendation: required only for occupations or cases for which the responsible authority’s recommendation is mandatory.
- Guarantee letter: required only for designated occupations subject to the guarantee requirement.
- Representative filing documents: a power of attorney, proof of the representative’s employment and a copy of the representative’s ID may be required when a representative files.
- Occupation-specific evidence: additional proof may be required under the detailed criteria for the E-7 occupation.
Route 3: changing status to E-7 inside Korea
Not every person lawfully in Korea can change to E-7 without leaving. Confirm first that your current status is eligible for an in-country change and that you meet the requirements for the intended E-7 occupation.
Baseline documents for the general change route
- Integrated Application Form, Form 34
- Passport, residence card and a standard photo
- Signed employment contract
- Employer-establishment documents, such as the applicable business registration or corporate registration document
- Career or other qualification evidence required for the occupation
- Employment recommendation where required, or other evidence showing why the employment is needed
- National and local tax payment certificates
- Any occupation-specific or case-specific document requested under the current E-7 criteria
Do not rely only on the general list. The residence manual applies the Confirmation of Visa Issuance document and review standards to status-change cases as appropriate. Your current status, degree, work experience, occupation and employer can change the final package.
Translation, apostille and consular confirmation
The current E-7 manuals state that documents issued outside Korea should include a Korean or English translation. They separately state that major or core documents require consular confirmation or an apostille.
This is narrower than saying that every foreign-issued page must always be apostilled. Before paying for authentication, ask which documents in your package the handling office treats as core documents and whether an apostille or consular confirmation applies to the issuing country and document type.
- Keep the original document and the complete translation together.
- Make sure names, dates, job titles and institutions are consistent across the passport, contract and qualification evidence.
- Do not assume that an English translation removes a separate authentication requirement for a core document.
- Do not rely on a translation or authentication rule quoted for a different visa category.
What the employer should check before filing
- Identify the exact E-7 occupation.
Use the actual duties, not only the employer’s preferred English job title. Check the occupation code and detailed criteria in the latest Hi Korea manual. - Check applicant qualifications.
Match the degree, experience or license evidence to the detailed criteria for that occupation. - Check employer conditions.
Employer size, Korean-employee ratios, tax status and occupation-specific restrictions may affect eligibility. - Check employment conditions.
Use the E-7 salary requirements guide rather than copying an old annual threshold into this checklist. - Confirm conditional documents.
Determine whether a recommendation, guarantee letter or occupation-specific supporting document is required.
Documents often requested—but not universal
An immigration office may reasonably request more evidence to review the employer, the job or the applicant. The following items may be relevant in some cases, but the August 7, 2026 E-7 common list does not make them universal for every route and occupation:
- University transcripts
- Proof of Korean address
- Four major insurance or employment-insurance enrollment lists
- Financial statements or additional tax records
- Company profile or organization chart
- Additional evidence explaining recruitment, revenue, staffing or the applicant’s duties
Prepare an item when it is required by the occupation criteria, the application route, the mission’s checklist or a specific request from the handling office. Do not submit a random oversized package in place of checking the correct rule.
Final check before submission
- I confirmed whether this is an embassy visa, Confirmation of Visa Issuance or in-Korea status-change case.
- I identified the exact E-7 occupation and checked its detailed qualification and employer criteria.
- The applicant’s duties, occupation, contract and qualification evidence tell the same story.
- Foreign-issued documents have the required translation and any required authentication.
- I checked whether a recommendation or guarantee letter applies to this occupation.
- I confirmed the latest form, submission method and any additional request with the handling authority.
This checklist is the site’s source of truth for E-7 document requirements. Other E-7 articles should link here instead of copying the same lists. Annual salary figures are maintained in the salary guide, and filing fees and processing-stage guidance are maintained in the processing time and fees guide. This separation allows one affected section to be updated when an official rule changes.