E-7-4 after changing workplaces: If you prove the change was not your fault, you can add your previous company's time to reach 1 year

Who this applies to

This is for people who worked on E-9 and moved to another company through the 고용센터 (Employment Center) process and workplace change permission. How "working 1 year or more" is counted depends on why you moved.

Reason you moved	How "working 1 year or more" is counted
A reason that is not your fault, such as temporary shutdown or closure, or unfair acts such as verbal abuse, violence or unpaid wages (proven with documents)	Time at previous company + time at current company
You came back to the same company where you worked before	Time worked at that company (before + now)
Other reasons	Basic rule: only time worked at your current company (ask 1345 if your case applies)

Here is an example. You worked 9 months at a company, and it closed. So you moved to another company. You are now in your 4th month at the current company. In this case, it is counted as 9 months + 4 months = 1 year 1 month. The 법무부 (Ministry of Justice) press release used this example for an E-7-4 extension of stay. The Ministry of Justice manual uses the same adding rule for the company recommendation when changing from E-9 to E-7-4.

Moving with permission does not by itself mean your time is added. Everyone who moves legally goes through the same process. What matters is the reason you moved. Some cases are not written in the official notice. For example, the company refused to renew your contract after it ended. Another example is moving because you were injured or became sick. In these cases, show your work history to 1345 or your local 출입국·외국인관서 (Immigration Office) and ask.

What stays the same and what can change when you move

What stays the same

• The 4-year stay condition: This is the time you stayed in Korea on E-9, E-10 or H-2 status, not time at one company. Time within the last 10 years is added together. The Ministry of Justice Q&A has an example. A person who was on E-9 from 2017 to 2019, came back in 2022 and worked 2 years is also counted as 4 years.
• Bonus for 3 years of work in a population-decline area or a town/township (eup/myeon) area (20 points): Only time worked at companies in a population-decline area or a town/township area within the last 10 years is added. The time can be added even if the companies are different. Example: 2 years at the company before last (town/township area) + 1 year at the current company (town/township area) = 3 years. Time at a previous company that was not in a town/township area is not counted.
• Points for age, Korean language and driver's license.

What can change

• Company recommendation (required, 50 bonus points): Follows the 1-year count in the table above.
• Bonus for 3 years or more of continuous work at your current company (20 points): On the day you apply, you must have been working at your current company continuously for 3 years or more. If you prove you moved for a reason that was not your fault, you can add time from your previous company. If you came back to the same company where you worked before, the time at that company (before + now) is also added.
• Bonus for a certificate or Korean degree (20 points): Certificates (기사, 산업기사, 기능사 — Korean national technical certificates) count only if they are related to the field you work in now, on the day you apply. If you moved to a different industry, check if your certificate counts. A degree from a Korean university (associate degree or higher) does not have this condition.
• Average income points: The basic rule is to look at your average for the last 2 years using the 소득금액증명원 (income certificate) from the 국세청 (National Tax Service). If you did not work for many months while looking for a new company, your income for that year goes down, and your points may drop. If you cannot prove income for the last 2 years for an unavoidable reason, such as a gap before re-entering Korea, you can use the 2 years with the highest income from the last 5 years instead. Ask 1345 if this rule also applies to your job-search period.
• Recommendation from a province or metropolitan city (30 bonus points): This is for people working 1 year or more at a company in that province or city. If you moved to a different province or city, check this condition too. If you also have a recommendation from a central ministry (30 points), only one counts.
• Special rule for areas outside the capital region: A person who has stayed 3 years or more in an area outside Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon may be eligible before 4 years if they get a recommendation from a province or metropolitan city. This special rule requires the province or metropolitan city recommendation. If you moved to the capital region or to another province or city, ask 1345 if you can still use this special rule.
• Yearly salary of 26,000,000 원 or more, employment contract of 2 years or more: This must be with the company where you work now. Agriculture and livestock, fishing and coastal shipping have easier standards, so ask 1345.

Steps

1. Write down three dates. ① The end date of your permitted stay on your 외국인등록증 (Alien Registration Card) ② The date you reach 4 years on E-9, E-10 or H-2 ③ The date you reach 1 year at your current company (or previous company + current company).
2. You can apply from the later date of ② and ③. At that time, you must also have 200 points or more (including 50 points or more each for income and Korean), a company recommendation, and a contract of 2 years or more. Until December 31, 2026, the Korean language requirement may be postponed (see "Things to watch out for" below).
3. Check if that date comes before ①. You must apply before your permitted stay ends. Leave extra time for the review period.
4. If you moved for a reason that was not your fault, collect proof. The Ministry of Justice only wrote "objective supporting documents". There is no official list of documents. Examples could be 고용센터 documents about the workplace change, the result of a complaint about unpaid wages, documents showing the business closed, or medical records and police or complaint reports about violence. Before applying, ask 1345 or your local 출입국·외국인관서 which documents are accepted.
5. Ask your current company for a 추천서 (letter of recommendation) and a 고용계약서 (employment contract). The contract must be a yearly salary of 26,000,000 원 or more and 2 years or longer.
6. Apply for a change of status of stay through 하이코리아 (HiKorea, the government immigration website) e-application. You can apply on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Your application day depends on the last digit of your birth year: 1 and 6 on Monday, 2 and 7 on Tuesday, 3 and 8 on Wednesday, 4 and 9 on Thursday, 5 and 0 on Friday. The number of people selected is fixed each year (33,000 people in 2026). Check the application status in the 하이코리아 notices.

If you have not moved yet, do the math first. The E-9 work period is 3 years at first. If you get a re-employment extension, 1 year 10 months is added, for a maximum of 4 years 10 months. If you move for a general reason, it can take up to 3 months from your change application to workplace change permission. After that, you need 1 year again at the new company. If the time left until your end date is shorter than this, it will be hard to meet the E-7-4 conditions in time.

What to prepare

• 외국인등록증 (Alien Registration Card), passport
• Documents showing your work period: 근로계약서 (employment contract) and 급여명세서 (pay slips) from your previous company and current company
• If you moved for a reason that was not your fault, proof of that (Step 4)
• Letter of recommendation from the head of your current company, and an employment contract with a yearly salary of 26,000,000 원 or more for 2 years or longer
• 국세청 소득금액증명원 (income certificate, last 2 years)
• Proof of Korean language score (TOPIK or Korea Immigration and Integration Program)

Things to watch out for

• You cannot apply for E-7-4 while you are looking for a new company. When you apply, you must be registered at your current company and working there legally.
• Keep the 1-month and 3-month deadlines. You must apply for a change at the 고용센터 within 1 month from the day your contract ended. You must get workplace change permission within 3 months from the day you applied. If you miss these, you will have to leave Korea, and the E-7-4 path also closes. If you could not apply or get permission because of a work injury, illness, pregnancy, childbirth or similar reasons, the period is counted from the day that reason ended. For detailed steps, see the Workplace change article.
• Do not work anywhere else without permission. Change your workplace only after getting permission first (Immigration Act Article 21). Breaking the Immigration Act means points are taken away. Breaking it 4 times or more, or a record of illegal stay of 3 months or more, means you cannot apply.
• Only time at your "previous" company is added. The Ministry of Justice manual says the time at your previous workplace and your current workplace is added together. If you moved two times or more, ask 1345 how it is counted.
• Get advice before you sign any document. If you sign a document such as "resigned for personal reasons", it may later be hard to prove that you moved for a reason that was not your fault. Before signing, first ask 1350 or the 고용센터. Apply for a workplace change at the 고용센터 in charge of the address of the workplace where you worked. If you are moving because of the employer's fault, explain it to that 고용센터 with evidence. Keep copies of related documents.
• The Korean language requirement is postponed until December 31, 2026. During this time, you can apply if your total points without Korean are 150 or more (including 50 points or more for income). But you must meet the Korean language requirement by your first extension (2 years). If this date passes while you wait 1 year at your new company, you must have 50 points or more in Korean.
• The same adding rule also applies when you extend your stay after changing to E-7-4.
• The Regional Skilled Worker visa (E-7-4R) has different standards. The Ministry of Justice manual of September 2026 says that if you will work in a population-decline area, there is no "working 1 year or more" limit for the company recommendation. E-9, E-10 and H-2 workers who are looking for a new company can also apply if the company they will work for is in a population-decline area. Areas of concern for population decline are not included in this exception. Check the notice of that province or city and ask 1345. For regional recommendation and living conditions, see the Regional visa article.

Frequently asked questions

Q. I moved following the 고용센터 process. Is my previous company time counted automatically? A. No. Your previous company time is added only if you moved for a reason that was not your fault, such as temporary shutdown or closure, verbal abuse, violence or unpaid wages, and you prove this with documents.

Q. Can the boss of my previous company write the letter of recommendation? A. No. The recommendation must come from the company where you work now. The employment contract of 2 years or more must also be with your current company. If your current company refuses to recommend you, see When you cannot get a recommendation letter.

Q. If I change companies, does the 4-year count start again? A. No. The 4 years is the time you stayed in Korea on E-9, E-10 or H-2 status. Time within the last 10 years is added together.

Q. What happens if I go back to my old company? A. If it is the same company, the time you worked before and the time you work now are added together. But if you want to move again, the rules on reasons and number of workplace changes apply.

Q. My permitted stay ends before I reach 1 year at the new company. A. If you moved for a general reason, it will be hard to apply for E-7-4 this time. Look at other paths too. When 4 years 10 months ends: 4 options

Where to get help

Organization	Phone / website	What they help with
외국인종합안내센터 (Immigration Contact Center)	1345	E-7-4 requirements, whether your time can be added, questions about 하이코리아
Local 출입국·외국인관서 (Immigration Office)	Book a visit on 하이코리아	Checking your supporting documents
고용센터 (Employment Center)	The one in charge of the address of the workplace where you worked (Which 고용센터)	Workplace change application, documents about the reason for change
외국인력상담센터 (Foreign Workers Support Center)	1577-0071	Advice on problems, daily life and paperwork, many languages including Nepali, 365 days 09:00~18:00 (Saturdays and public holidays: staff on duty)
고용노동부 고객상담센터 (Ministry of Employment and Labor Call Center)	1350	Advice on unpaid wages, advice on reasons for workplace change
하이코리아	hikorea.go.kr	E-application for change of status of stay