About this status of stay
Specially Designated Activities (E-7) is the status of stay for foreign nationals who sign a contract with a public institution, company or other organization in Korea and work in an occupation specially designated by the Minister of Justice (Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act [출입국관리법 시행령], Appended Table 1-2). The requirements for education, experience and pay differ by occupation, such as managers, technical staff, office and service jobs, and skilled workers (E-7-4).
Your stay assumes that you work in the permitted occupation at the permitted workplace, so if you change companies or your work changes, you must go through the right procedure.
How a legal problem affects your stay
For E-7, 'where you work and what you do' is the basis of your stay. A criminal record is checked not only when you extend your stay but also later, when you apply to change to Residence (F-2) or Permanent Residency (F-5).
If you receive a criminal penalty
If you are sentenced to imprisonment (with or without labor), the ground for deportation can become an issue (Immigration Act [출입국관리법] Article 46(1)(13)). A fine is not a ground for deportation, but it counts against you when you apply to extend your stay, and if the violation is serious your stay permit can be cancelled (Article 89(1)(5)).
If you change workplaces without permission
To change or add a workplace, you must get permission in advance or, depending on your occupation, report it within 15 days of the change (Immigration Act Article 21(1)). If your occupation requires permission and you move without it, you can face punishment (Article 95(6)) and deportation (Article 46(1)(9)).
If you do work outside your permitted occupation
This is an activity outside the scope of your status of stay and can be punished (Immigration Act Article 17(1) and Article 94(7)), and your stay permit can be cancelled or an extension refused. Even if your company tells you to do it, you yourself are also responsible if the work differs from what was permitted.
When you later change to Residence (F-2) or Permanent Residency (F-5)
After staying with E-7 for 5 years or more, you may be eligible to apply for Permanent Residency (F-5) (Enforcement Decree Appended Table 1-3), and the good conduct requirement is reviewed at that time. Under the Ministry of Justice standards, you do not meet the requirement if 3 years have not passed since you paid a fine, or if 5 years have not passed since a suspended sentence of imprisonment without labor or heavier became final (Ministry of Justice guidance manual [법무부 체류민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼]).
Common problems with this visa
When you quit or change companies
When a foreign worker leaves, the company must report it to the immigration office within 15 days (Immigration Act Article 19). Depending on your occupation, moving to a new workplace either needs permission in advance or only a report afterward.
The guidance says that if you were dismissed through your own fault or quit in the middle of your contract, you cannot move with just a report unless your original employer agrees (Ministry of Justice guidance manual). If there are reasons on the company's side, such as the business being suspended or closed or unpaid wages, documents showing this can be used instead, so collect them in advance.
When you are told to do work outside your contract
If your company keeps making you do work that differs from your contract and your permitted occupation, keep records of it (work instruction messages, work schedules). These records protect your own stay and also show why you need to change companies.
What happens to your stay, depending on the outcome of your case
Whatever your status of stay, the outcome of a criminal case leads to a review of your stay. Below is a summary based mainly on the standards set by law. The actual decision is made by the immigration office, which looks at what happened in your case together with your life in Korea.
- Case not referred to prosecutors, or suspended indictment
- These are not criminal penalties, so they do not count as 'imprisonment without labor or a heavier sentence', which is a ground for deportation. However, under the Act on the Lapse of Criminal Sentences (형의 실효 등에 관한 법률), a suspended indictment (기소유예, where prosecutors decide not to charge you) and some decisions not to refer a case to prosecutors (불송치) stay in investigation history records for a certain period, and these can be checked when needed for a foreigner's naturalization or stay permit (Article 6(1)(6) and Article 8-2). How long they stay depends on the legal penalty for the offense. Reviews that look at your conduct, such as for Residence (F-2) and Permanent Residency (F-5), also check this kind of case history.
- Fine (including a summary order)
- A fine does not count as 'imprisonment without labor or a heavier sentence', which is a ground for deportation. However, it counts against you in reviews for extending your stay, changing your status of stay, permanent residency and naturalization, and if the violation is serious your stay permit can be cancelled (Immigration Act Article 89(1)(5)). The Ministry of Justice review standards have many items that look at the amount of the fine and how much time has passed since you paid it. Under the Criminal Procedure Act (형사소송법), if you received a summary order (약식명령, an order that sets a fine without a trial), you can request a formal trial within 7 days of receiving it (Article 453).
- Suspended sentence of imprisonment
- A suspended sentence (집행유예) is still a sentence of imprisonment with or without labor, so the ground for deportation ('a person sentenced to imprisonment without labor or a heavier sentence and released', Immigration Act Article 46(1)(13)) can become an issue. The review standards for Residence (F-2), Permanent Residency (F-5), Overseas Korean (F-4) and other statuses treat even a suspended sentence as a disqualifying reason for a set period from the date the judgment becomes final.
- Prison sentence
- You can become subject to deportation when you are released after serving your sentence, and the prison warden must notify the immigration office about a foreigner whose release has been decided (Immigration Act Article 84(2)). Deportation proceedings can also go ahead while you are still serving your sentence (Article 85). If you leave Korea under a deportation order, you can be banned from entering Korea for 5 years after that (Article 11(1)(6)).
- Immigration Act violations (overstaying, working without permission, etc.)
- After an investigation by the immigration office, you may receive a notice to pay an immigration fine (범칙금, money paid in place of a criminal fine) or be reported for prosecution (Immigration Act Articles 102 and 105), and this can then lead to a departure order or deportation. A record of immigration fines also counts as a record of breaking the law in later reviews of your stay.
- Departure orders and deportation orders
- A departure order tells you to leave Korea on your own by a set deadline, and the deadline is set within 30 days from the date the order is issued (Immigration Act Article 68; Enforcement Rules Article 65). For a deportation order, you can file an objection with the Minister of Justice within 7 days of receiving the order (Article 60). Filing an administrative appeal or an administrative lawsuit does not stop the order from taking effect, so you also need to apply for a stay of execution.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to leave Korea as soon as I quit?
You do not have to leave on the day you quit. During your remaining period of stay, you can look for a new workplace and go through the workplace change procedure, or, if you meet the requirements, consider changing to Job Seeking (D-10) status. However, which procedure you can use depends on why you left and whether your original employer agrees, so check before you quit.
When I change workplaces, do I need permission or just a report?
It depends on your occupation. Some occupations with a set limit on the number of foreign hires, and skilled workers (E-7-4), need permission in advance. Other E-7 occupations only need a report within 15 days of the move (Immigration Act Article 21; Ministry of Justice guidance manual).
If I get a fine, will my extension be refused?
The law does not set a standard based on the amount of the fine, and the review looks at what happened together with your life in Korea. However, when you later change to Residence (F-2) or Permanent Residency (F-5), specific standards apply, such as how much time has passed since you paid the fine, so it is important to get a lighter outcome while the case is still under investigation.
My company makes me do work outside my contract, and I am worried I will be fired if I refuse.
If you do work outside your permitted occupation, you yourself also risk punishment or cancellation of your stay permit. Keep records of the work instructions; if you need to change companies, those records show the reason for the change of workplace. If you were unfairly dismissed, you can also consider applying to the Labor Relations Commission for a remedy.
Get advice right away if
- You are about to be questioned by the police, or you received a fine or a suspended sentence
- You were dismissed or want to quit, but you do not yet know how you will stay in Korea next
- Your company keeps making you do work outside what was permitted
- You received a notice refusing your extension of stay or change of workplace
Related guides
Legal basis
- Immigration Act Articles 17, 19, 21, 46, 89, 94 and 95
- Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Appended Tables 1-2 and 1-3
- Ministry of Justice guidance manual on stay permits by visa type (Sept. 2026): Specially Designated Activities (E-7), Permanent Residency (F-5)
This guide is based on the Immigration Act (출입국관리법) and its Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rules in force as of October 2026, and on the Ministry of Justice guidance manual on stay permits by visa type (법무부 체류민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼, Sept. 2026). Ministry of Justice review standards can change at any time.
This guide is for reference only. The immigration office decides whether you can stay by looking at what happened in your case together with your life in Korea, so the same decision can lead to different results depending on your situation.