Working in a depopulation area and want a longer-term visa?

The E-7-4R, the Regional Specialized Skilled Worker visa (지역특화형 숙련기능인력), is a status of stay the government runs to slow regional population loss and support local economies. It is granted to skilled foreign workers who keep working at a company inside a designated depopulation area (인구감소지역) or interest area (관심지역) and intend to settle in that community. For the worker it opens a path to stable long-term residence in Korea. For an employer short of hands in such an area it is a way to keep trained staff for the long term. In return there are conditions on the worker, the workplace and the place of residence, and all of them are checked before the change of status is granted.

What this covers

• A check on whether a worker can convert to E-7-4R: income, Korean language ability, and the designated area
• A check on whether the workplace qualifies: sector, current foreign workforce, tax status and compliance record
• The recommendation letter from the head of the metropolitan city or province (광역지방자치단체장), which is mandatory
• The change-of-status application to the immigration office
• What the status brings: a base for long-term stay, a basis for inviting accompanying family when the conditions are met, and permission for the spouse to work

Worker requirements

• Residence and employment: the core condition is continuous residence and employment in the designated depopulation area or interest area for at least three years.
• Income: average annual income over the most recent two years of at least 25 million won (24 million won in agriculture and livestock, fisheries and coastal shipping), and a contract salary after the change of at least 26 million won (25 million won in agriculture, livestock and fisheries). We confirm the amounts in force on the filing date.
• Korean language: completion of level 2 or higher of the social integration program (사회통합프로그램, KIIP), or TOPIK level 2 or higher. A temporary exception has allowed a conditional change of status on the condition that the requirement is met by the first extension. Because it is time-limited, we check whether it still applies when you file.
• Local government recommendation: a recommendation letter issued by the head of the metropolitan city or province.

Employer requirements

• Eligible workplaces: workplaces already covered by the skilled-worker points system (숙련기능점수제) that properly employ at least one E-9, E-10 or H-2 worker, in sectors such as manufacturing, root industries (뿌리산업), agriculture, forestry, livestock and fisheries, and construction.
• No arrears or violations: no unpaid national or local taxes, and no recent punishment for violating the Labor Standards Act or the Immigration Act. The workplace must also have no ground for disqualification under the Immigration Act.
• Hiring ceiling: the number of workers a workplace may employ on this status varies with the number of Korean employees enrolled in employment insurance.

What we handle

• Diagnosing whether conversion is possible for a given worker and workplace before any document is filed
• Preparing the application for the local government recommendation and following it through to the letter
• Preparing the income proof, the standard labor contract (표준근로계약서) and the other filing documents, checked for clerical errors
• Filing the change-of-status application with the immigration office
• Advising beforehand when a holder needs to move home or change workplace

How the process works

1. We review the worker's income record, Korean language proof and place of residence, and the employer's sector, workforce and tax status.
2. We check the recommendation allocation of the metropolitan city or province and prepare the recommendation application.
3. Once the recommendation letter is issued, we file the change-of-status application with the immigration office.
4. After the change, we advise on the residence and workplace conditions the holder has to keep.

Who typically needs this

Foreign workers employed in a designated depopulation or interest area who want a stable long-term status, and employers in those areas (manufacturing, root industries, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, construction) that want to keep skilled staff.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the designated area, or changing workplace without permission from the competent immigration office. The status is issued on the premise of settling in the region, so either can lead to cancellation of the status and an order to leave Korea. Consult before moving.
• Applying without checking the allocation. Each metropolitan city or province has a fixed number of recommendations.
• Clerical errors in the income proof, the standard labor contract or the recommendation application, which get the documents returned.
• An employer applying while taxes are unpaid or after a recent labor or immigration violation.
• Signing a contract for after the change at a salary below the required amount.

Timeline

The schedule depends first on the local government, because the recommendation letter comes before the immigration filing and the number of recommendations per region is limited. Start with the eligibility check early, so the documents can go in while allocation remains.

For the general E-7-4 skilled worker track and other work visas, see E-series work visa filing. For extending a stay period after the change, see alien registration and extension.