Planning to work in South Korea as a Nepali citizen? This guide covers every Korea work visa available to Nepali workers, E-9, E-7, E-7-4, and the route to permanent residency, with the latest 2025/26 salary thresholds, eligibility requirements, and the Nepal-specific E-7 developments you need to know.
South Korea is one of the most sought-after work destinations for Nepali citizens, and for good reason. Korea’s minimum wage of KRW 10,030 per hour (2025) is among the highest in Asia. Its labour laws extend the same protections to foreign workers as to Korean nationals. And its work visa system, while structured and demanding, provides Nepali workers with clear, legitimate pathways from initial employment through to skilled worker status and, in time, permanent residency.
Understanding which Korea work visa applies to your situation is the essential first step. There are multiple visa categories available to Nepali workers, each designed for a specific type of employment, skill level, and career stage. Choosing the wrong one, or applying without understanding its requirements, is one of the most common and costly mistakes Nepali citizens make when planning to work in South Korea.
This guide covers every Korea work visa pathway available to Nepali citizens in 2025/26: the E-9 visa through EPS, the E-7 professional and skilled worker visa (including the newly formalised Nepal-specific E-7 pathway), the E-7-4 skilled worker upgrade, and the long-term F-series routes toward permanent residency.
Overview: Korea Work Visa Types for Nepali Citizens
| Visa | Type | Who It’s For | Max Stay | Dependents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-9 | Non-professional employment | Unskilled/semi-skilled workers via EPS | 4 years 10 months | Not permitted |
| E-7-1 | Professional personnel | Skilled professionals in 67 occupations | 1–3 years (renewable) | Permitted (F-3) |
| E-7-2 | Semi-professional | Medical coordinators, hotel receptionists, caregivers, etc. | 1–3 years (renewable) | Permitted (F-3) |
| E-7-3 | General skilled | Ship welders, auto body workers, halal slaughterhouse workers, etc. | 1–3 years (renewable) | Permitted (F-3) |
| E-7-4 | Skilled worker (points-based) | Long-term E-9/E-10/H-2 workers upgrading to skilled status | Renewable | Permitted (F-3) |
| D-2 + work permit | Student part-time | Nepali students studying in Korea | Duration of study | Not permitted |
| D-10 | Job seeker | Graduates seeking employment after study | Up to 3 years | Limited |
The E-9 Visa: Korea Work Visa for Non-Professional Nepali Workers
The E-9 Non-Professional Employment Visa is the work visa most Nepali citizens have heard of; it is the visa issued to workers selected through the Employment Permit System (EPS), South Korea’s government-to-government-managed labour recruitment programme.
Nepal has had a formal EPS MOU with South Korea since 2007, and thousands of Nepali workers travel to Korea on E-9 visas each year to work in manufacturing, agriculture, animal husbandry, fishery, and construction.
Key E-9 Features for Nepali Workers
Maximum stay: 3 years initially, extendable to 4 years and 10 months total.
Sectors: Manufacturing (largest quota), agriculture and animal husbandry, fishery, construction (22 sub-trades explicitly listed as of November 2025, including painting, plumbing, waterproofing, masonry, welding, structural steel, landscaping, and demolition), and food processing.
Salary: Korea’s national minimum wage, KRW 10,030/hour in 2025. Monthly base salary of approximately KRW 2,060,000–2,100,000 (approximately USD 1,560). Overtime at 1.5× rate for hours beyond 40/week.
Dependents: E-9 visa holders cannot bring their spouse or children to Korea. This is a significant restriction compared to E-7 category visas.
Employer transfer: You are initially tied to your registered employer. Transfer is permitted if the employer closes, violates the contract, if you are injured at work, or at the end of your contract period.
How to get it: The E-9 visa is issued exclusively through the EPS process, EPS-TOPIK language test, skill and health assessment, entry into the HRD Korea job roster, employer selection, standard labour contract, and pre-departure training at DoFE-EPS Korea Branch, Gwarko, Lalitpur.
2025 quota: The 2025 E-9 quota was set at 130,000 total, a 21% reduction from 2024’s 165,000. Nepal’s specific allocation included 3,500 slots for manufacturing and 1,800 for agriculture and animal husbandry for the 2025 cycle.
For a complete step-by-step guide to the EPS process specific to Nepali citizens, see Nepcoms’ detailed EPS Korea process guide.
The E-7 Visa: Korea Work Visa for Skilled Nepali Workers
The E-7 Specific Activities Visa is South Korea’s professional and skilled worker visa, and it is the Korea work visa that offers Nepali citizens the strongest long-term employment, income, and residency prospects.
Unlike the E-9 (which is tied to the EPS government system), the E-7 visa requires a direct employment offer from a registered Korean company in an eligible occupation. The employer sponsors your visa application, and you must meet the qualification standards set by the Korean Ministry of Justice for your specific occupation category.
The E-7 is widely described as one of the most demanding Korean visas to obtain, every element of the application (your qualifications, the employer’s registration, the salary offer, the occupation code, and your personal profile) must align precisely. But for Nepali workers who meet the requirements, it is also one of the most rewarding Korea work visas available — offering family sponsorship rights, much higher salaries than E-9, and a clear pathway to permanent residency through F-2 and F-5 visas.
The Nepal-Specific E-7 Development: What Changed in 2024
Until 2024, virtually all Nepali workers going to South Korea did so under the E-9 EPS system, the government-managed unskilled and semi-skilled labour programme. This changed significantly in November 2024 when Nepal’s Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security published new work procedures explicitly permitting registered Nepali manpower companies to send skilled workers to South Korea under the E-7 visa.
Under these new guidelines, confirmed by the Embassy of Nepal in Seoul in July and August 2025, Nepali workers wishing to go to South Korea for employment under the E-7 visa system must pass the Korean language test and occupational skill test conducted by an accredited institution recognised by the South Korean government. The Nepali Embassy in Seoul verifies employer demand from Korean companies within 15 days, checking that wages, facilities, and working conditions meet required standards before approving the labour agreement attestation (E-7).
This formalisation of Nepal’s E-7 pathway is significant, it means Nepali skilled workers in IT, engineering, healthcare, culinary arts, and other professional fields now have a government-supported, transparent route to the higher-paying, family-eligible E-7 work visa, not just the EPS-restricted E-9.
E-7 Subcategories: Which One Applies to You?
The E-7 visa is divided into four main subcategories based on skill level and occupation:
E-7-1: Professional Personnel The most common E-7 category for white-collar professionals, covering 67 specific occupations, including software developers, IT engineers, marketers, overseas sales representatives, HR managers, culinary arts professionals (chefs), mechanical engineers, and more. This is the standard Korean work visa for Nepali professionals with university degrees working in knowledge-sector roles.
E-7-2: Semi-Professional Personnel covers roles such as medical coordinators, hotel receptionists, caregivers, and other service-sector semi-professional roles. Often has lower salary thresholds than E-7-1.
E-7-3: General Skilled Personnel Covers specific skilled trade occupations, as of January 2026, 16 occupations are listed, including ship welders, ship painters, auto body and paint workers, halal slaughterhouse workers (newly added January 2026), and root-industry skilled workers.
E-7-4: Skilled Technical Personnel (Points-Based) The upgrade pathway from long-term E-9 employment to skilled worker status. Covered in detail in the dedicated section below.
E-7-1 Qualification Requirements
For the standard E-7-1 professional visa, Nepali applicants must meet one of the following educational and experience standards:
- Bachelor’s degree in a field directly relevant to the intended occupation, plus a minimum of 1 year of relevant work experience
- Master’s degree or higher in a field relevant to the intended occupation (no additional work experience required)
- 5 years of work experience in the occupation you are applying for (no formal degree required)
- For high-income professionals earning annual compensation exceeding 3× the previous year’s GNI per capita, qualification requirements are waived
E-7 Salary Requirements (2025/26)
The Ministry of Justice sets minimum salary thresholds for E-7 visa holders. These thresholds are updated periodically; the current standards were effective from April 1, 2025, and revised again for February 1 to December 31, 2026.
- General principle: E-7-1 salary is benchmarked against Korea’s
- Gross National Income (GNI) per capita. The standard minimum for E-7-1 in most occupations is approximately 80% of the previous year’s GNI per capita, approximately KRW 39,000,000/year (KRW 3,250,000/month) for large corporations. Small and medium-sized businesses with official certification may qualify for a reduced threshold of 70%.
- E-7-2 and E-7-3: These categories typically require minimum wage or above, approximately KRW 2,060,000/month in 2025, rather than the GNI-linked threshold that applies to E-7-1.
- E-7-4: Annual salary of at least KRW 26,000,000 (KRW 25,000,000 for agriculture and fisheries) required for the upgrade application.
- Key rule: Only base salary and fixed allowances count toward the salary threshold. Reimbursements for meals or transportation are excluded. If your salary drops below the minimum for your occupation code at any point during your E-7 employment, contact immigration immediately; this is a visa compliance issue.
E-7 Application Documents
The E-7 visa application requires the employer to initiate the process in Korea. You cannot apply for an E-7 visa independently; a registered Korean company must sponsor your application. Standard documents include:
- Application for Certificate of Visa Issuance (CVI), submitted by the Korean employer through HiKorea
- Valid Machine Readable Passport
- Degree certificate and academic transcripts (apostilled or consular-notarised; translated into Korean or English)
- Work experience certificates (apostilled or consular-notarised)
- Employment contract with the Korean employer (specifying salary, position, and duties)
- Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) from Nepal must be clean
- Proof of Korean language proficiency (TOPIK score, level required varies by occupation)
- Health insurance enrollment proof
- Employer’s business registration certificate and financial viability documents
All overseas documents must be apostilled or consularly notarised. Documents in Nepali must be officially translated into Korean or English. Submission to the Korean Embassy in Kathmandu or directly through the Korean employer’s immigration filing in Korea, depending on whether you are applying from Nepal (overseas) or in-country.
The E-7-4 Visa: Upgrading from E-9 to Skilled Worker Status
For Nepali citizens who have worked in South Korea on an E-9 visa and want to remain in Korea long-term with better working conditions, the E-7-4 Points-Based Skilled Worker Visa is the most important Korea work visa development of recent years.
The E-7-4 is specifically designed for long-term E-9 workers to transition from non-professional employment status to skilled worker status, unlocking better job mobility, higher salary prospects, family sponsorship rights, and a clearer pathway to permanent residency.
E-7-4 Eligibility Requirements
- 4+ years of legal employment on E-9, E-10, or H-2 visas within the past 10 years
- Currently employed at your registered employer with at least 1 year of continuous employment
- Annual salary of at least KRW 26,000,000 (KRW 25,000,000 for agriculture and fisheries)
- Employer recommendation: your current employer must support the application
- K-Point score of 200 or more out of 300 on the Korean government’s points assessment system
How the K-Point System Works
The K-Point assessment scores Nepali E-7-4 applicants across several categories:
- Korean language proficiency (TOPIK): TOPIK Level 4 or above significantly strengthens the application. Even if your income is slightly below the threshold, a TOPIK 4+ score can compensate.
- Work experience in Korea: Duration and quality of employment history
- Age: Younger applicants score higher
- Salary level: A higher salary above the minimum earns more points
- Work location: Employment in depopulation areas (지방소멸지역) earns bonus points and is also advantageous for future F-2-R or F-5 permanent residency applications
- Education: Higher educational qualifications earn additional points
- Korean university graduate: A bonus is specifically awarded for Nepali workers who graduated from a Korean university
2025 quota: 33,000 spots available for E-7-4 applications, processed via HiKorea under a birth-year rotation system.
What E-7-4 Status Gives You
Transitioning from E-9 to E-7-4 fundamentally changes your employment status in Korea:
- You are no longer subject to the 4-year-10-month E-9 stay limit
- You can change employers more freely (with immigration notification within 15 days)
- You become eligible for an F-3 dependent visa, your spouse and children can join you in Korea
- You qualify for higher-paying roles commensurate with skilled worker classification
- You move significantly closer to F-2-7 and F-5 permanent residency eligibility
The Pathway from E-7 to Permanent Residency in Korea
For Nepali citizens who build careers in South Korea on E-7 visas, permanent residency is a realistic long-term goal. Korea’s immigration system provides two main PR pathways for E-7 holders:
F-2-7: Points-Based Long-Term Residency
The F-2-7 visa is available to E-7 holders who have maintained legal residence in Korea for at least 1 year and have accumulated 80 or more points on the government’s social integration points table. Points are awarded for Korean language proficiency (TOPIK), income level, educational background, age, and other social integration factors.
F-2-7 holders can work for any employer in any field; there are no occupation restrictions. The F-2-7 is renewable and can be held indefinitely, making it an effective permanent working resident status even before formal F-5 PR is granted.
F-5 (Permanent Residency)
Full permanent residency under the F-5 visa is available to Nepali E-7 holders through two main routes:
F-5-11 (Specially Skilled): Available to E-7 holders who meet income thresholds (typically 3× GNI or higher), have 5 years on E-7, and meet Korean language requirements. This is the fast-track route for high-earning Nepali professionals.
F-5-1 (General PR): Requires 5 years of continuous legal residence in Korea, typically accumulated across E-7 employment periods. Korean language proficiency and a clean record are required.
Once you hold an F-5 permanent residency visa, you can live and work in Korea indefinitely, in any sector, for any employer. Your spouse and children can join you. You can purchase property. And after 5 years on F-5, you can apply for Korean citizenship, which, since the 2024 reform, now permits dual citizenship for most applicants.
The Long-Term Timeline for Nepali Workers
| Year | Stage | Visa Status |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1–4 (10 months) | EPS employment | E-9 |
| Year 4–5 | E-7-4 upgrade (if eligible) | E-7-4 |
| Year 5–6 | Continue E-7-4; meet F-2-7 criteria | E-7-4 → F-2-7 |
| Year 6–10 | Build toward 5-year continuous residency | F-2-7 |
| Year 10+ | Apply for F-5 permanent residency | F-5 |
| Year 15+ | Eligible for Korean citizenship | Korean citizenship (dual with Nepal since 2024) |
For Nepali workers arriving on E-7 directly (not through EPS), the timeline is faster. F-2-7 eligibility begins after 1 year; F-5 general PR eligibility begins after 5 years on E-7.
Which Korea Work Visa Is Right for Nepali Citizens?
Choose E-9 if: You are applying for manufacturing, agriculture, or construction work through the official EPS government system. You have passed or are preparing for the EPS-TOPIK. You want a government-managed process with zero agent fees.
Choose E-7-1 if: You have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant professional field, and a Korean employer is willing to sponsor you. You are an IT professional, engineer, chef, or other skilled professional. You want a higher salary, family sponsorship rights, and a clearer PR pathway than E-9 provides.
Choose E-7-2 or E-7-3 if: You work in semi-professional services, skilled trades, or specific technical occupations listed under these subcategories. These routes have lower salary thresholds and are more accessible than E-7-1 for workers with trade qualifications rather than university degrees.
Apply for E-7-4 if: You have already worked 4+ years in Korea on an E-9 visa, meet the KRW 26,000,000 annual salary threshold, and have an employer recommendation. The E-7-4 upgrade is the most strategic move available to long-term Nepali EPS workers.
Use D-10 if: You have just graduated from a Korean university and need time to find qualifying employment before applying for an E-7 work visa. The D-10 job seeker visa (valid up to 3 years post-August 2025) gives you the time to find the right employer without losing your legal status.
Korean Language and Your Korea Work Visa
Korean language proficiency is not just a communication tool; for Nepali citizens pursuing a Korea work visa, it is a formal qualification that affects visa eligibility, salary negotiation, and long-term PR prospects.
For E-9 applicants: The EPS-TOPIK is the mandatory Korean language test. There is no TOPIK requirement, but a higher EPS-TOPIK score improves your roster ranking and employer selection speed.
For E-7 applicants: TOPIK requirements vary by occupation category. Some E-7-1 occupations require TOPIK Level 2–3; others have no formal requirement but award points for language proficiency. TOPIK Level 4+ significantly strengthens any E-7 application and is specifically highlighted as a compensating factor for E-7-4 applicants whose income is slightly below the threshold.
For F-2-7 and F-5: TOPIK Level 4 or above is required for the points-based F-2-7 long-term residency visa; TOPIK is also required for F-5 general PR applications.
Strategic investment in the Korean language, starting before you arrive in Korea and continuing throughout your employment, pays measurable returns across every stage of the Korea work visa pathway. At Nepcoms, our IELTS and language preparation programme helps Nepali citizens build their English proficiency (for E-7-1 roles at international companies) alongside TOPIK-oriented Korean preparation guidance.
Important Rules and Compliance for Nepali Korea Work Visa Holders
Notify immigration within 15 days of changing employers. E-7 holders who change employers without notifying the Korea Immigration Service within 15 days are technically in violation of their visa status. This is one of the most commonly overlooked compliance requirements.
Do not let your salary drop below the minimum threshold. If your salary drops below the minimum for your E-7 occupation code at any point during your employment — due to a company restructuring, demotion, or reduction- contact immigration immediately. A salary below the legal minimum for your visa category is a compliance issue that can affect visa extension.
Submit extension applications 4 weeks early. Never leave a visa extension to the last minute. Submit at least 4 weeks before your current E-7 expires. Overstaying during extension processing, even unintentionally, affects your immigration record and future visa applications.
Do not work outside your approved occupation. Your E-7 visa specifies the occupation code and employer for which it was issued. Working in a different occupation without changing your visa status, even at the same employer, is a violation.
An illegal stay ends all future visa eligibility. Overstaying, working for unauthorised employers, or otherwise violating immigration conditions creates a permanent immigration record that affects all future Korean visa applications, including E-7 extensions and PR applications.
How Nepcoms Helps Nepali Citizens Navigate Korea Work Visas
The Korea work visa landscape for Nepali citizens is more varied and more opportunity-rich than it has ever been, but it is also more complex than most generic guides acknowledge. The formalisation of Nepal’s E-7 skilled worker pathway, the E-7-4 upgrade system, the 2025/26 salary threshold changes, and the routes to F-2-7 and F-5 permanent residency all require careful understanding before committing to a work pathway.
At Nepcoms, with 17+ years of experience supporting Nepali citizens in their Korea-related goals, from study in Korea programmes and migration planning to career development, our team provides:
- Work visa pathway assessment, identifying whether E-9, E-7-1, E-7-3, or E-7-4 best suits your qualifications, experience, and long-term goals
- E-7 document preparation, apostille coordination, translation, and application package review specific to Nepali applicants
- EPS Korea process support, for workers pursuing the E-9 route through HRD Korea and DoFE
- Korean language preparation, TOPIK and Korean language coaching guidance for visa-eligible Nepali workers
- Long-term Korea career and PR planning, mapping the pathway from initial employment through F-2-7 and F-5 permanent residency
Our career counselling team works with both aspiring and currently employed Nepali workers in Korea to plan the most efficient, legally compliant route from their current status to their long-term goal, whether that is E-7-4 upgrade, F-2-7 residency, or F-5 permanent residency.
Book a free consultation with Nepcoms to get personalised guidance on which Korea work visa pathway is right for your situation, and what you need to do now to reach your Korea career goals.
Korea Work Visa for Nepali Citizens: Quick Reference
| Visa | Best For | Salary Minimum | Family | PR Pathway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-9 | EPS workers (manufacturing, agriculture) | KRW 10,030/hr (minimum wage) | ❌ No | Via E-7-4 upgrade |
| E-7-1 | Professionals (IT, engineering, chefs) | ~KRW 39M/year (80% GNI) | ✅ F-3 visa | F-2-7 → F-5 |
| E-7-2 | Semi-professionals (healthcare, hospitality) | Minimum wage or above | ✅ F-3 visa | F-2-7 → F-5 |
| E-7-3 | Skilled trades (welders, auto workers) | Minimum wage or above | ✅ F-3 visa | F-2-7 → F-5 |
| E-7-4 | Long-term E-9 upgrade (K-Point system) | KRW 26M/year | ✅ F-3 visa | F-2-7 → F-5 |
| F-2-7 | Long-term working residents | 80+ points (income + TOPIK etc.) | ✅ | F-5 PR |
| F-5 | Permanent residency | 5 years continuous residence | ✅ | Korean citizenship |
