Korea SMEs and Startups Agency to Continuously Operate Visa Recommendations for Foreign Skilled Professionals and Experienced Technical Workers in SMEs

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency announced on April 8, 2026, that they will be continuously accepting applications for the employment recommendation of foreign skilled professionals (E-7-1) and the conversion recommendation for experienced technical workers (E-7-4) throughout 2026 in order to help resolve the workforce shortage faced by small and medium-sized enterprises.

Foreign Skilled Personnel and Experienced Skilled Worker Visa Recommendation Procedure Guide Poster. Korea SMEs and Startups Agency

원본보기 아이콘

The E-7-1 employment recommendation system supports foreign students (D-2, D-10) who have signed contracts with domestic SMEs and wish to work in occupations designated by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. According to this year's notice, it will be operated for 27 occupations. The workplace requirements include qualification as an SME and a wage condition (annual salary of at least 31.12 million won), among others.

Through system improvements, the number of E-7-1 employment recommendation occupations will be expanded from 24 to 27, with three new occupations-overseas sales representatives, product planning specialists, and research specialists-to be added. This measure reflects the workforce demand in the export, planning, and research fields of SMEs.

The E-7-4 conversion recommendation supports foreign workers currently employed at manufacturing SMEs to convert to the experienced technical worker visa, in line with the Ministry of Justice’s plan to expand the selection of experienced technical workers (K-point E74). According to the announcement, foreign nationals who have lawfully worked for more than four years on visas such as E-9 or E-10 within the past 10 years, and who meet the qualification requirements, can convert to the E-7-4 visa, which allows long-term residency.

Starting this year, the application procedures have been significantly improved to alleviate the administrative burden on companies. To simplify the visa recommendation process, the number of required documents for E-7-1 has been reduced from 11 to 6, and for E-7-4 from 8 to 4. The submission method has also been changed from email to the K-Work platform, further enhancing convenience and procedural efficiency.

On the K-Work platform, the entire process-from application to review-for both E-7-1 and E-7-4 visa recommendations can be handled. User-friendly features such as real-time translation in 28 languages, AI-based job support services, and improvements to UI/UX have also been upgraded.

Detailed information about the public notices regarding E-7-1 and E-7-4 visa recommendations can be found in the announcements posted on the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency website and the K-Work platform. Applications for both systems can be submitted through the K-Work platform. However, even if recommended by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups or the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, the final visa issuance is subject to the Ministry of Justice's review and decision.

Cho Hankyo, Director of Human Resource Growth at the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, stated, "We have improved the visa recommendation system by considering both the workforce demand in the field and the convenience for companies in the application process. We will actively support SMEs so they can more smoothly secure the global talent they need."

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