The Threshold for Employment of Foreign Students in Korea is Significantly Lowered... In-Depth Analysis of E-7 Visa Requirement Relaxation

The Ministry of Justice is pushing for a revision of the immigration control law guidelines that significantly relax the issuance requirements for the Specific Activity (E-7) visa to expand employment opportunities for foreign students residing in Korea and address the workforce shortage in the industry. This measure is interpreted as a strong government commitment to attract excellent foreign students who are familiar with Korean culture and language as key talents in the country, in response to the population decline and regional extinction crisis.

The core of this amendment is the realisation of income requirements, which has acted as the biggest barrier for students changing to employment visas after graduation. Previously, to obtain an E-7 visa, one had to meet more than 80% of the previous year's Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, a standard that was difficult for new graduates to achieve. However, according to the revised guidelines, for those employed in small and medium-sized enterprises or in non-capital regions, this income standard will be lowered to around 70%, or a plan to apply relaxed standards for a certain period will be included, which is expected to ease job-seeking activities for students.

Additionally, the criteria for assessing the relevance between majors and employment occupations will also be significantly relaxed. In the past, visas were only issued if the major studied at university was closely related to the job sought, but in the future, the scope will be broadly recognised considering the development of interdisciplinary studies and the demands of the industry. This means that humanities majors can enter the IT field, or engineering majors can find employment in technical sales positions, allowing for various career paths, and it is expected to provide companies with more freedom to hire the talents they need.

The government is also considering expanding the quota for foreign professionals in the root industries and manufacturing sectors. By relaxing the requirements for converting to a skilled worker (E-7-4) visa, it aims to establish a system that allows foreign workers or students who have worked diligently to settle in the country and contribute to industrial development instead of returning to their home countries. In particular, benefits linked to regional balanced development will be strengthened, such as granting points when changing to a residence (F-2) visa for students who graduate from local universities and find employment in local companies.

Experts analyse that this measure will have a positive impact not only on the short-term resolution of workforce shortages but also on securing long-term national competitiveness. However, they pointed out that to enhance the effectiveness of the system, the simplification of visa issuance procedures and the establishment of social infrastructure that allows foreign workers to integrate stably into our society must be pursued simultaneously. The Ministry of Justice plans to monitor the implementation of this relaxation measure and continue an open immigration policy trend to attract excellent talents in the future.