E-9 Visa
2025-10-03
About the E9 Visa
The Non-Professional Employment Visa is issued to workers in non-professional fields such as simple labor, manufacturing, agriculture and livestock, and fisheries. It is available only to nationals of countries that have agreements with Korea and is issued through Korea's Employment Permit System (EPS).
1
Eligible Countries
- Thailand, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan, Timor-Leste, Laos, Tajikistan
2
Visa Quota by Industry (as of 2025)
| Industry | Number of Workers |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing, mining | 72,000 |
| Agriculture and livestock, forestry | 10,000 |
| Shipbuilding | 2,500 |
| Fisheries | 8,500 |
| Construction | 2,000 |
| Services (including restaurants) | 3,000 |
| Flexible allocation | 32,000 |
- ※ Mining, forestry, and restaurants have been allowed on a pilot basis since 2024
3
Period of Stay
- 1) 3 years by default
- 2) Can be extended by 1 year and 10 months upon the employer's re-application
- 3) Periods when normal work is not possible due to work-related injury, illness, pregnancy, childbirth, etc. are excluded from the regular period of stay, but the total period of stay cannot exceed 5 years
4
Rights and Protection
- Workers receive the same legal protection as Korean nationals under the Korean Labor Standards Act.
5
Restrictions
- 1) Economic activities outside the status of stay are restricted
- 2) Change of workplace is allowed only in cases such as the employer's business closure or unpaid wages
- 3) Family invitation is not allowed
- 4) Cannot change to a long-term stay visa (changing to a long-term stay visa is possible after first changing to E-7-4)