The decline in population caused by low birth rates and aging is having a profound impact on Korean society as a whole. Among these, the most direct consequence is the shortage of manpower faced by businesses.
In particular, small and medium-sized enterprises in regional areas struggle to secure sufficient workers from the domestic labor market alone. As a result, they are increasingly turning to hiring foreign workers as an alternative solution.
At the same time, large corporations – which are relatively less affected by labor shortages – are also making strategic use of foreign recruitment to secure talented and skilled professionals.
Although the circumstances differ from company to company, one fact is clear: the number of businesses considering foreign employment continues to grow steadily.
This raises an important question: for HR managers who are considering foreign hiring for the very first time, what should be the top priority?
Here are the essential starting points to consider.
The first and most crucial step is to define what kind of work the foreign employee will perform.
Unlike domestic workers, foreign employees must obtain the visa type that corresponds to their specific job role. Each visa type comes with its own set of conditions, not only for the worker but also for the company.
For instance, certain occupations are not permitted under specific visa categories. If the prospective employee does not meet the visa issuance requirements, or if the company does not fulfill the eligibility criteria for hiring foreign workers, the recruitment cannot proceed.
Therefore, companies must first determine the exact job role they wish to fill, and then carefully review the employment qualifications and visa requirements for that role.
The eligibility and conditions for companies differ depending on the type of job and the visa category involved.
| Job Type | Eligible Visa | Job Examples | Company Requirements |
| Part-time Work | D-2 (Student), D-4 (Trainee), D-10 (Job Seeker), H-1 (Working Holiday) | Office work, restaurants, service jobs (part-time basis) | No special requirements |
| Unskilled Labor | E-9 (Non-professional Employment) | Manufacturing, agriculture & livestock, shipbuilding, construction, fishing, service industry |
Varies by industry (see details) |
| Professional Occupations | E-7 (Specialty Occupation) | Developer, marketer, architect, chemical engineer, robotics specialist, nurse, chef, caregiver, etc. |
Varies by occupation (see details) |
※ Foreign nationals holding visas such as F-2 (Resident), F-4 (Overseas Koreans), F-5 (Permanent Resident), or F-6 (Marriage) may be freely employed without restrictions.
※ For professionals, the most representative visa is E-7, though other specialty visas (E-1 through E-6) also exist.
For part-time positions, there are no special hiring requirements for companies. However, working hours are restricted by visa type, meaning that part-time visa holders cannot work full-time in unskilled positions.
For unskilled labor (E-9), recruitment is conducted through the EPS (Employment Permit System) managed by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
Hiring Procedure for Unskilled Labor (E-9 Visa)
For professional occupations (E-7), requirements vary depending on the specific occupation. Companies must support the foreign employee to meet the conditions for E-7 visa issuance.
Hiring Procedure for Professional Occupations (E-7 Visa)
🔗 Introduction to E-9 Visa (Non-professional Employment)
🔗 EPS (Employment Permit System)
🔗 Introduction to E-7 Visa (Specialty Occupation)
🔗 E-7 Employment Eligibility Self-Check Tool
