Your E-9 visa lets you work in Korea for up to 4 years 10 months, and up to 9 years 8 months with a re-entry. But what if you want to stay in Korea longer — and maybe bring your family one day? The answer for many EPS workers is the E-7-4 Skilled Worker visa (숙련기능인력). In this guide, Teacher Nova explains who can apply, how the points work, and what changed this month.
🇵🇭 Gusto mo bang manatili nang mas matagal sa Korea? Ang E-7-4 visa ang daan para sa maraming EPS worker. Basahin ang gabay na ito!
✔ Who: E-9, E-10 or H-2 workers with 4+ years of legal work in Korea (in the last 10 years)
✔ How: a points system (K-point E74) — you need 200 points or more
✔ Biggest points: income + Korean language level + employer recommendation
✔ Why: no fixed end date like E-9 — you can extend, and later aim for F-2 → F-5 (long-term / permanent residence)
✔ 2026 quota: about 33,000 people
1. What is the E-7-4 visa?
E-7-4 (숙련기능인력, “Skilled Worker”) is a work visa for foreign workers who already proved themselves in Korea. Instead of leaving when your E-9 period ends, you change your status to E-7-4 and keep working — usually at the same company that recommends you.
| E-9 (now) | E-7-4 (after switching) | |
|---|---|---|
| Stay period | Max 4 y 10 m (up to 9 y 8 m with re-entry) | Extend again and again while you meet the conditions |
| Future path | Must leave Korea at the end | Can aim for F-2 (residence) and F-5 (permanent residence) |
| Family | Family cannot join | Family invitation possible once you meet the income/condition rules |
| Changing jobs | Limited | Usually stay with the recommending company (rules apply) |
🇵🇭 Ang E-7-4 ay para sa mga worker na napatunayan na ang sarili sa Korea. Hindi mo kailangang umuwi pagkatapos ng E-9 — puwede kang magpatuloy sa trabaho.
2. Who can apply? (basic conditions)
- ✅ You worked legally in Korea on E-9, E-10 or H-2 for 4 years or more within the last 10 years (some regional programs: 3 years outside Seoul/Gyeonggi/Incheon)
- ✅ You are working now as a registered foreigner, with no illegal stay
- ✅ Your current employer recommends you (usually after at least 1 year at that company)
- ✅ You sign an E-7-4 contract of 2+ years with a yearly salary of about 26 million KRW or more (a little lower in agriculture and fishing)
- ✅ You score 200 points or more on the K-point E74 table
🇵🇭 Kailangan: 4 taon o higit pang legal na trabaho (E-9/E-10/H-2), rekomendasyon ng employer, 2-taong kontrata, at 200 points.
3. How the points work (K-point E74)
Your score comes from basic items and bonus items. You need 200 points in total — and at least the minimum level in both income and Korean.
| Item | Points | How to get more |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Income (2-year average) | 50 ~ 120 | Higher yearly income = more points (max at about 50 million KRW+) |
| 🇰🇷 Korean language | 50 / 80 / 120 | TOPIK 2 or KIIP 2 = 50 · TOPIK 3 or KIIP 3 = 80 · TOPIK 4+ or KIIP 4+ = 120 |
| 🎂 Age | 10 ~ 60 | Most points at age 27–33 |
| 👍 Recommendation | bonus | Employer recommendation (required) · extra for central/local government recommendation |
| ⭐ Other bonus | bonus | 3+ years at the same company · 3+ years in a rural/depopulated area · Korean skill certificate or degree · Korean driver’s license |
| ⚠️ Minus points | − 5 ~ − 20 | Fines, unpaid taxes, immigration rule violations |
🇵🇭 Ang Korean language ang pinakamalaking tulong sa points mo. Mula TOPIK 2 papuntang TOPIK 4 = +70 points!
4. What changed on October 22, 2026?
The Ministry of Justice announced these improvements for E-9 and E-10 workers:
- 📄 Fewer documents to extend your stay: from 12 or more down to 7 or fewer
- ⭐ Extra points for loyalty: the longer you work at the same company, the more bonus points when switching to E-7-4
- 🏠 Easier path to F-2 (residence): a shorter stay requirement for long-serving workers
- 🗺️ A clear step-by-step road: E-9 → E-7-4 → F-2 → F-5 will be explained in an official notice
- 💻 Online visa guide on HiKorea (pilot): check jobs, requirements and estimate your E-7-4 points yourself
5. Step by step: how to apply
- Check your years — count your legal E-9/E-10/H-2 work in the last 10 years (4+ years).
- Raise your Korean level — take TOPIK or join the KIIP (Social Integration Program, 사회통합프로그램).
- Talk to your boss — ask for the employer recommendation (추천서) and a 2-year E-7-4 contract.
- Calculate your points — use the HiKorea visa guide or ask a support center.
- Apply — book a visit at your local immigration office on HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) with your documents (ARC, passport, contract, income certificate, Korean score, recommendation).
🇵🇭 Hakbang: bilangin ang taon mo → itaas ang Korean level → humingi ng rekomendasyon sa boss → kalkulahin ang points → mag-apply sa immigration (HiKorea).
The E-7-4 rules are the same for every nationality — Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and more. If you are on E-9 or E-10, this guide is for you.
6. Final tips from Teacher Nova
- Start Korean study early — you need the score before you apply, and Korean gives the biggest points.
- Stay with a good company — the new rules give extra points for long service, and you need your boss’s recommendation.
- Keep a clean record — fines, unpaid taxes and immigration violations take away points.
- Ask for free help — Foreign Workers Support Centers, the HiKorea call center 1345, or your embassy (the Philippine Embassy held an E-9 → E-7-4 seminar on October 11, 2026).
🇵🇭 Simulan nang maaga ang pag-aaral ng Korean — ito ang susi para manatili ka nang mas matagal sa Korea!
※ This guide summarizes public information from the Ministry of Justice and news reports (updated October 2026). Points, income levels and quotas can change. Always check the latest rules on HiKorea or with your immigration office.
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