The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) said on the 8th that to ease manpower shortages at small and midsize enterprises and strengthen global competitiveness, they will accept applications year-round in 2026 for recommendations to hire foreign professionals (E-7-1) and for recommendations to convert to skilled worker status (E-7-4).
The E-7-1 hiring recommendation is a program that supports foreign international students (D-2, D-10) who have signed contracts with domestic small and midsize corporations and intend to work in occupations eligible for hiring recommendations by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS). Under the 2026 announcement, it will cover 27 occupations. Corporations must meet the requirements for small and midsize enterprises and pay an annual wage of at least 31,120,000 won.
Through this year's system improvements, the government will expand the E-7-1 hiring recommendation occupations from the current 24 to 27. Three occupations—overseas sales representative, product planning specialist, and research specialist—will be added. This reflects labor demand in export, planning, and research at small and midsize enterprises.
The E-7-4 conversion recommendation is a program that, in line with the Ministry of Justice's plan to expand selection of skilled workers, supports foreign nationals employed at manufacturing small and midsize enterprises in converting to a skilled worker visa. Foreign nationals who have legally worked for at least four years in the past 10 years on visas such as E-9 or E-10 can convert to the E-7-4 visa, which allows long-term stay, if they meet the eligibility requirements.
Key improvements in the 2026 program focus on easing administrative burdens for corporations and enhancing application convenience. To streamline visa recommendation procedures, required documents for E-7-1 were reduced from 11 types to 6, and for E-7-4 from 8 types to 4. The submission method was also shifted from email to the K-Work platform to improve application convenience and procedural efficiency.
On the K-Work platform, the entire process from application to review for E-7-1 and E-7-4 visa recommendations can be handled, and user-friendly functions have been enhanced, including real-time translation in 28 languages, AI-based employment support services, and UI/UX improvements.
The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) plans to ease hiring difficulties for small and midsize enterprises through this E-7-1 and E-7-4 visa recommendation announcement and the advancement of the K-Work platform, while supporting stable employment and settlement for foreign international students and skilled foreign workers.
Cho Han-gyo, executive director for workforce growth at the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME), said, "We improved the visa recommendation program by considering both on-site labor demand at small and midsize enterprises and application convenience for corporations," adding, "We will actively help small and midsize enterprises secure the global talent they need more smoothly."