Changing Your Employer on an E-7 Visa in Korea

You hold an E-7 (specialized activity) visa and want to move to a new employer or add a second one — but the visa is tied to a designated job and company.

Medium riskImmigration Act & its Enforcement Rules (출입국관리법·시행규칙)

Applies to

employee

Quick answer: On E-7 you may change or add employer, but you must obtain change-of-workplace permission (근무처 변경·추가 허가) — or file a report where allowed — with Immigration, generally within about 15 days of the change. The new job must match your E-7 occupation, and the employer and salary must meet the criteria. Starting a new job without approval can cancel your status.

What Korean law says

  1. ·E-7 status is granted for a specific occupation and, in practice, a specific workplace approved by Immigration.
  2. ·Moving to a new employer, or working for an additional one, requires change/addition-of-workplace permission (근무처 변경·추가 허가); some cases are report-only, but you must still notify Immigration.
  3. ·The new employer must be eligible — valid business registration, tax compliance, and (for many E-7 codes) an acceptable ratio of Korean to foreign employees — and your new job must fall within your approved E-7 occupation.
  4. ·A minimum salary criterion applies (commonly benchmarked to national income figures); a job that pays too little or does not match your qualifications may be refused.
  5. ·You should apply within the deadline (commonly within 15 days of the change) via HiKorea or your Immigration Office. Working for a new company without the required permission is a violation that can lead to cancellation.

Required conditions

  1. ·A currently valid E-7 status.
  2. ·The new job is within an eligible E-7 occupation matching your qualifications.
  3. ·The new employer meets the eligibility requirements.
  4. ·The salary meets the applicable threshold.

What to do next

  1. 1Sign a new employment contract that matches your E-7 occupation and meets the salary criterion.
  2. 2Collect employer documents: business registration (사업자등록증), tax payment certificate, reason-for-hire letter.
  3. 3Apply for 근무처 변경·추가 허가 at your Immigration Office or via HiKorea within the deadline (commonly 15 days).
  4. 4Do not start the new job before approval when permission (not merely a report) is required.
  5. 5Keep the approval recorded against your ARC.

Documents to prepare

Passport and ARC.New employment contract.Employer’s business registration + tax certificate.Your resume and relevant certificates/degree.Application form for change of workplace.

Where to go / who to contact

Immigration Office (출입국·외국인청/사무소); HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr); 1345.

Time limit / deadline

Commonly within 15 days of the change; where permission is required, obtain it before starting the new job.

Common mistakes

  1. ·Starting the new job before permission is granted.
  2. ·Taking a role outside your E-7 occupation.
  3. ·Missing the reporting deadline.

Sources

These are official Korean government sites — mostly in Korean. Need help in your language? Use the multilingual helplines below, or tap “Get professional help”.

Multilingual helplines: 1345 Immigration (Vietnamese) · 1350 Labor · 1588-0560 Tax (English) · 120 city services

Last checked: 2026-07-12

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Changing Your Employer on an E-7 Visa in Korea — KVBiz Law