E-7-4 Visa Points: How the Score Works and Who Can Switch…

Four years done. Visa ending soon.

You’ve worked through four Korean winters on an E-9 contract. Your employer wants to keep you. But your permit has a hard ceiling, and a coworker mentioned a “points visa” that lets skilled workers stay. Then you opened the official notice and found a wall of Korean tables.

This guide explains the E-7-4 visa points system in plain English. You’ll see who qualifies, how the score adds up, and where files usually stall. If your current permit is close to its end date, check your extension options first. E-9 visa extension

Why four years on an E-9 isn’t enough on its own

The E-7-4 (skilled worker) visa is open to people who stayed in Korea lawfully for at least 4 years within the last 10 years on an E-9, E-10 or H-2 visa. You must also work for a Korean employer now, keep a clean immigration and tax record, and reach the points threshold. Time served gets you through the door. Points decide the rest.

Who counts as eligible

E-7-4 eligibility for E-9 workers rests on four checks. Each one is separate. Failing any single one stops the application.

• Visa history. Your past stay must be on E-9 (non-professional employment under the Employment Permit System), E-10 (crew) or H-2 (working visit).
• Lawful stay. The 4 years must be lawful. Overstay periods or unauthorized work can disqualify you.
• A current job. You apply while employed, and your employer has to support your application.
• A clean record. Criminal convictions, immigration violations and unpaid taxes count against you.

The employer side people forget

Here’s the catch. Your employer is reviewed too.

The Korea Immigration Service checks that the company is a real, operating business. It also looks at labor law compliance and at how many Korean staff the company employs compared with foreign staff. A strong personal score can’t rescue a file if the workplace fails these checks.

So talk to your HR team early. Ask them directly whether the company has sponsored an E-7-4 before.

Meeting these basics only gets you to the starting line. The score is where most people get stuck.

How the E-7-4 points calculation actually adds up

Under the K-point E74 system the Ministry of Justice introduced in 2023, your base score comes from three items: annual income, Korean ability and age. Together they top out at 300 points. You need at least 200 points overall, plus a minimum score in both income and Korean. Bonus items, such as recommendations, can push you over.

The three base items

• Annual income. Points rise with your salary band. Income is judged from official tax records, so cash payments that never reached the tax office don’t count. Falling below the lowest band means you miss the income minimum.
• Korean ability. Points rise with your TOPIK level or KIIP stage. This item also has a minimum.
• Age. Younger applicants score more. This is the one item you can’t change.

The exact point value for each band changes when the Ministry revises the notice. Always use the current table posted on HiKorea, not a screenshot from a forum.

Bonus points that move the needle

Bonus items sit on top of the 300-point base. They are often the difference between 185 and 205.

• A recommendation from a central government ministry, a metropolitan or provincial government, or your current employer
• Working in a designated depopulation area or rural region
• Long service at your current workplace
• Korean national technical qualifications (gukga gisul jagyeok)
• Education or training completed in Korea

Deductions also exist. Past immigration law violations or tax arrears can take points away.

Run your own numbers in six steps

1. Get your income figure from the National Tax Service Hometax system or from Government24.
2. Find your income band in the current notice.
3. Add your Korean points based on your TOPIK or KIIP certificate.
4. Add your age points.
5. Check that income and Korean both meet their minimums.
6. If you’re under 200, list the bonus items you could realistically secure this year.

Most people find one item drags their total down. It’s usually the same one.

The Korean score that quietly decides your total

The E-7-4 Korean language score requirement is mandatory, not optional. The entry level is TOPIK level 2 or completion of KIIP stage 2, and each higher level earns more points. Age is fixed and salary moves slowly. That makes Korean the fastest item to raise, often within a single year of evening study.

TOPIK or KIIP?

Both routes count. They suit different schedules.

• TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) is run by NIIED several times a year. You sit one exam day and get a level. Results stay valid for 2 years from the announcement date.
• KIIP (Korea Immigration and Integration Program) is a course run under the Ministry of Justice. You take a placement test, then complete stages over weeks of classes. Evening and weekend classes exist in many cities.

Which is better? If you already speak some Korean, TOPIK is faster. If you need structured lessons, KIIP gives you both the skill and the certificate. KIIP registration

Timing your test

Check the validity date before you file. A TOPIK result that expires the month before your appointment is useless. Book your test so the result arrives at least a few weeks before you plan to submit.

But a strong Korean score won’t save a messy file.

The E-7-4 required documents that send files back

A typical E-7-4 file combines identity papers, proof of income, proof of Korean ability, the employer’s business documents, an employment contract and a recommendation letter. The exact list sits in the current Ministry of Justice notice and on HiKorea. Bring originals plus copies. Incomplete files are usually returned for supplementation, which costs you time.

What you prepare

• Integrated Application Form (tonghap sincheongseo)
• Passport and Alien Registration Card (ARC)
• One passport-style photo (3.5 cm x 4.5 cm)
• Certificate of income amount (sodeuk geumaek jeungmyeong) from Hometax or Government24
• TOPIK score report or KIIP completion certificate
• Proof for any bonus items, such as technical qualification certificates
• The status change fee listed on HiKorea

What your employer prepares

• Business registration certificate
• Employment contract with salary and duties
• Recommendation letter from the employer, or from a ministry or local government if you use that track
• Staff and insurance records showing the company’s Korean and foreign headcount

The legal basis is simple. You’re asking to change your status, and that needs advance permission.

Under the Immigration Control Act, Article 24 (summary), a foreigner who wishes to engage in activities under a different status of sojourn must obtain permission to change status from the Minister of Justice in advance.

You can read the English text of the Act on MOLEG. Starting new duties before permission arrives is a violation in itself.

With the file ready, timing becomes the next risk.

E-7-4 application steps, from employer to new ARC

Most applicants follow six stages: confirm eligibility, calculate the score, secure a recommendation, gather documents, attend an appointment at the immigration office covering your workplace, then wait for the decision. File before your current E-9 or H-2 stay expires. This is a change of status inside Korea, not a new visa issued abroad.

The six stages

1. Confirm eligibility. Count your lawful years on E-9, E-10 or H-2 within the last 10 years.
2. Calculate your score. Use the current table and check both minimums.
3. Secure a recommendation. Your employer, or a ministry or local government, issues it.
4. Gather documents. Collect the lists above and check every expiry date.
5. Book and attend. Reserve a visit on HiKorea at the office that covers your workplace address.
6. Wait and track. Check your application status online. Processing time varies by office.

Why the calendar matters

The Ministry of Justice sets an annual quota for E-7-4. For 2023 it raised the cap to 35,000 places, and recommendations are handed out within that limit. When a track fills, applicants on that track may need to wait for the next allocation.

Two-word lesson? Start early.

Some regions also run a regional track, E-7-4R, under the regional specialized visa pilot. It ties eligibility to living and working in a designated area. Ask the local government or immigration office whether your city takes part.

Here’s what actually happens after approval.

What really changes once you hold E-7-4

E-7-4 moves you out of the Employment Permit System and into the professional E-7 family. Your stay no longer follows EPS contract cycles. Extensions are reviewed by immigration based on your job and income. You still need permission before changing workplaces, and long-term holders can later aim for residence routes such as F-2 or F-5.

Rules that stay with you

• Changing jobs. Get immigration approval before you start at a new workplace.
• Extensions. Keep your employment and tax records clean. Each extension is a fresh review.
• Address changes. Report a move within the legal deadline, like any ARC holder.
• Family. Family invitation is possible only under the conditions in the current notice. Check them before making plans.

The longer road

For many workers, E-7-4 is a bridge rather than a destination. Years on E-7-4, plus income and Korean ability, can later support an application for the F-2 residence visa or F-5 permanent residency. Those routes have their own score tables and stay requirements. F-2 visa points

Your next move this week

Print your income certificate today. Compare it with the current income bands on HiKorea. Then book your next TOPIK date or KIIP placement test. Those two numbers will tell you how close you really are.