The K-Point E-7-4 visa has become a beacon of hope for foreign workers who have been diligently working in Korea for extended periods.
This visa system allows foreigners who have worked long-term with E-9, E-10, or H-2 visas to transition to the stable, long-term residency status of E-7-4.
However, many people face difficulties due to the complex application requirements and scoring evaluation system.
This comprehensive guide will provide detailed information about the K-Point E-7-4 visa based on 2025 standards, helping you navigate this important opportunity for stable residence in Korea.
What is the K-Point E-7-4 Visa?
The K-Point E-7-4 visa is a skilled worker transition system that the Ministry of Justice has been implementing since 2017.
This system provides opportunities for foreigners who have worked long-term in Korea with non-professional employment (E-9), seafarer employment (E-10), or working visit (H-2) visas to gain recognition for their skills and transition to the long-term work visa E-7-4.
The greatest advantage of this visa compared to existing visas is that it allows family invitation and enables stable life in Korea with renewable two-year stay periods.
Additionally, it provides favorable conditions when applying for permanent residency (F-5) in the future.
Basic Application Requirements
Residency Experience Requirements
Applicants must have a total of four years or more of residency experience with E-9, E-10, or H-2 visas within the past ten years.
An important point to note is that this does not require four consecutive years of residence, but rather a total of four years within the ten-year period.
For example, if someone worked with an E-9 visa from 2017 to 2019 for two years, left the country, and then re-entered with an E-9 visa in 2022 and worked for another two years or more, they would be recognized as having the required four years of total residency experience.
Employment Contract Requirements
Applicants must conclude an employment contract for two years or more in the future at their current workplace.
The annual salary standard must be 26 million won or more, with relaxed requirements of 25 million won or more for those engaged in agriculture, livestock, fishery, and inland shipping industries.
The employment contract must specify conditions for working two years or more after E-7-4 visa conversion and meet the annual salary standards.
The contract period must be two years or more from the application date, so it is important to set the contract start date based on the application reference.
Work Experience Requirements
Applicants must have at least one year of work experience at their current workplace.
This is also a basic condition for receiving a recommendation letter from the company representative.
If someone previously worked at the same workplace, moved to another company, and then returned to the original workplace, the past work period and current work period can be combined to meet the one-year requirement.
Point System Evaluation Framework
The K-Point E-7-4 visa uses a point system evaluation with a total of 300 points, and applicants must achieve at least 200 points to qualify for application. Both average income and Korean language proficiency must each score a minimum of 50 points to be eligible.
Average Income Score (Maximum 120 Points)
Points are awarded based on the average income over the past two years.
The scoring system allocates 50 points for 25 million won or more, 65 points for 30 million won or more, 80 points for 35 million won or more, 95 points for 40 million won or more, 110 points for 45 million won or more, and 120 points for 50 million won or more.
For those engaged in agriculture, livestock, fishery, and inland shipping industries, a relaxed standard applies where 24 million won or more earns 50 points.
Average income verification is only possible through the National Tax Service's Income Amount Certificate, calculated by adding the income from the past two years and dividing by two.
If proving income for the past two years is difficult due to re-entry gaps or other circumstances, applicants can select the two highest-earning years from 2018 to 2023 for submission.
Korean Language Ability Score (Maximum 120 Points)
Korean language ability is evaluated through TOPIK scores or Social Integration Program completion certificates.
TOPIK Level 2 or Social Integration Program Level 2 completion earns 50 points, Level 3 or Level 3 completion earns 80 points, and Level 4 or higher or Level 4 or higher completion earns 120 points.
For Social Integration Program pre-evaluation, scores between 41-60 points earn 50 points, 61-80 points earn 80 points, and 81 points or higher earn 120 points.
However, pre-evaluation results become invalid after two years from the implementation date, so careful attention is required.
Age Score (Maximum 60 Points)
Age-based differential scoring awards 40 points for ages 19 and under, 60 points for ages 19-26, 80 points for ages 27-33, 90 points for ages 34-40, and 120 points for ages 41 and above.
Bonus Point Categories
Bonus points are available for holding domestic certifications related to your current field of work.
Additional bonus points are awarded for earning associate degrees or higher from domestic universities and for holding domestic driver's licenses (Class 2 regular license or higher).
Regional bonus points are also available, with 20 points for working three years or more in population decline areas and 20 points for working three years or more in rural areas.
An important note is that if your work region qualifies as both a population decline area and a rural area, you receive 20 points only once, not 40 points total.
Bonus points are also available for working three years or more at your current workplace, and additional bonus points depend on the type of recommendation received.
Deduction Categories
Points may be deducted for fines under 1 million won (up to 20 points maximum), for residency permit restrictions due to tax delinquency (up to 15 points maximum), and for violating immigration laws three times or fewer (up to 15 points maximum).
Required Documentation
Essential Documents
All applicants must submit certain mandatory documents including the integrated application form, passport copy, self-evaluation table at reception, application technical document, and standard employment contract.
The tax office-issued Income Amount Certificate for the past two years is required for average income verification, and Korean language proficiency documentation such as TOPIK score reports or Social Integration Program completion certificates must be submitted.
The identity guarantee document must be completed by the employer as the guarantor, with the identity guarantee period set for at least two years.
This directly relates to the residency period, as guarantee periods shorter than two years prevent approval of a two-year residency period.
Workplace-Related Documents
Documents that must be submitted by the current workplace include copies of business registration certificates or agricultural management entity registration certificates, tax payment certificates and local tax payment certificates to verify whether the company has any tax delinquencies.
The four major social insurance subscriber list or employment insurance subscriber list is needed to confirm regular worker status, and company recommendation letters and copies of recommender identification cards are also required.
Additional Documents
Additional documents are submitted only when applicable, including domestic certifications, domestic degrees, and domestic driver's licenses for bonus point recipients.
Root industry confirmation certificates, prime contractor confirmation certificates, and inland freight transportation business licenses are required only for relevant industries.
Understanding the Recommendation Process
Central Ministry Recommendations
The Ministry of Employment and Labor, Ministry of Trade Industry and Energy, Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport, and Ministry of SMEs and Startups each provide recommendations for their respective areas of responsibility.
Each ministry sends weekly recommendation lists to the Ministry of Justice via official documents, and the relevant foreigners only need to indicate recommendation status on their self-evaluation tables without separately submitting recommendation letters.
Metropolitan Local Government Recommendations
Recommendations are processed by the desired local government among the 17 metropolitan local governments.
Foreigners who have worked for one year or more at companies located in the relevant metropolitan local government area are recommended, and they must continue working in that local government area for two years after E-7-4 conversion.
For those converted through non-metropolitan area special provisions, the mandatory work period extends to three years.
Company Recommendations
This involves recommendations from company representatives where applicants have worked for one year or more.
Recommendations must be made appropriately according to the company's job type and field, and foreigners must directly submit recommendation letters and copies of recommender identification cards when applying for E-7-4.
Application Process and Important Considerations
Hi-Korea Electronic Civil Service Application
K-Point E-7-4 visa applications can only be submitted through Hi-Korea electronic civil service.
Application hours are weekdays from 7 AM to 10 PM. Uploadable file formats are jpg, bmp, png, tif, and pdf files under 2MB, with passport photos limited to jpg files under 95KB.
Five-Day System Application Schedule
Application days are determined by the last digit of the applicant's birth year. Mondays are for digits 1 and 6, Tuesdays for 2 and 7, Wednesdays for 3 and 8, Thursdays for 4 and 9, and Fridays for 5 and 0.
Passport Validity Period Verification
If remaining passport validity is less than six months, residency periods can be granted considering the validity period as six months, but only once.
However, employment contract periods must still be two years or more.
Special Benefit Regions and Industries
Population Decline Area Special Provisions
Those who have worked three years or more in population decline areas receive 20 bonus points, and through non-metropolitan area special provisions, applicants can apply with only three years of residency regardless of the four-year residency requirement if they receive metropolitan local government head recommendations.
Relaxed Standards for Agriculture, Livestock, Fishery, and Inland Shipping
These industries have relaxed annual salary requirements of 25 million won or more, and average income standards for the past two years are also lowered to 24 million won or more.
Root Industry Preferential Treatment
Those engaged in root industries can have employment quotas expanded to 50% of Korean employment personnel, and companies currently employing E-9 and E-10 foreign workers can employ at least two people.
Workplace Employment Quota Standards
General Companies
Companies can employ E-7-4 visa holders within 30% of current workplace Korean employment personnel.
Korean employment personnel refers to domestic workers who have been listed on employment insurance subscriber lists for three months or more and receive monthly wages above the legal minimum wage.
Companies currently employing E-9 and E-10 foreign workers can employ at least one person.
Special Provision Companies
Companies in population decline areas or root industries can employ within 50% of Korean employment personnel, with minimum employment of two people possible.
Construction Industry Special Provisions
Construction companies can employ within the value calculated by multiplying either construction capability evaluation amount or annual average construction amount by 0.1 (0.1 people per 100 million won).
Frequently Asked Questions
Korean Language Ability Related Questions
If Social Integration Program pre-evaluation scores are 41 points or higher but stage assignment is less than 3 points resulting in 0-point assignment, this does not meet K-Point E-7-4 minimum Korean language ability score standards and cannot be recognized.
Retaking the pre-evaluation for higher scores is possible, with regular evaluations conducted at Gwangmyeong and Daejeon CBT centers.
Work Region Related Questions
If someone worked three years in population decline areas and three years in rural areas for a total of six years, they receive the bonus points for "three years or more work in population decline areas and rural areas" only once (20 points), not separately.
Work periods cannot be double-counted when work regions qualify as both population decline areas and rural areas simultaneously.
Length of Service Related Questions
If someone previously worked at the same workplace, moved to another company, and then returned to the original workplace, past work periods and current work periods can be combined to receive length of service bonus points if the total is three years or more.
Strategic Preparation for Success
The K-Point E-7-4 visa represents a crucial opportunity for foreigners who have worked diligently in Korea for extended periods to achieve stable residency status.
While the requirements and procedures are complex, successful outcomes are achievable with adequate preparation and accurate information.
Korean language ability and average income scores constitute a significant portion of the total 240 points available, making high scores in these two areas particularly important.
Additionally, carefully reviewing bonus point categories to secure as many points as possible is advantageous.
For all foreign workers preparing K-Point E-7-4 visa applications in 2025, we hope you achieve your desired results.
Those who find the complex procedures or document preparation challenging are advised to seek assistance from professional administrative lawyers or relevant institutions when applying.
The transition from temporary work visas to the E-7-4 skilled worker status represents not just a change in legal status, but an opportunity to build a stable future in Korea with family reunification possibilities and a pathway to permanent residency.
Understanding the point system thoroughly and preparing strategically can make the difference between success and disappointment in this important life transition.