South Korea's Ministry of Justice (MOJ) plans to award long-serving migrant workers extra points on a skilled visa and shorten a residency requirement to help employers retain experienced workers, The Korea Herald reported Oct. 22.
E-7-4 provides a longer-stay skilled-worker option for eligible holders of E-9 nonprofessional work visas and E-10 seafarer visas. Applicants are assessed using Korean-language ability, income and their length of employment or residence. By September 2026, the program had 52,648 visa holders; its quota had increased to 35,000 from 2,000 in September 2023.
Under the plan, service with the same employer would bring added points toward E-7-4 eligibility. Those workers also would face a shorter residency requirement before applying for F-2 resident status.
The Korea Herald reported that, in June, 470 businesses and 316 foreign workers took part in a survey that flagged complex immigration procedures and Korean-language demands as barriers to changing status. Employers also highlighted the need to retain workers and keep staffing stable.
The ministry plans to test a HiKorea online guide so applicants can check whether they qualify, estimate their E-7-4 score and prepare supporting paperwork. Stay extensions now call for at least 12 documents; under the planned change, applicants would need seven or fewer.
A separate notice is planned to describe the move from E-9 or E-10 status to E-7-4, followed by applications for F-2 resident status and F-5 permanent residency. The Korea Herald reported that the notice is intended to give employers and workers advance clarity on staffing and longer-term residency options. Acting Justice Minister Lee Jin-soo said the changes would help experienced workers continue in Korean industries and “settle in local communities.” Lee said they were “not intended to increase the inflow of foreign workers.”
