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Foreign employment & nationality

Re-employment of E-9 (Non-professional Employment) Foreign Workers and the Reentry Special Case for Diligent Workers — Filing 7 Days Before Expiry and Requirements

An E-9 (Non-professional Employment) foreign worker may work for 3 years from the date of entry, and if the employer applies for re-employment by 7 days before the expiry date, the period is extended once for less than 2 years (Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Articles 18 and 18-2; Enforcement Rule, Article 14-2). If a worker who has completed the extended period meets requirements such as those on changes of workplace and the employer applies before departure, the worker may work again at the same workplace once 1 month has passed from the date of departure (Article 18-4).

Written by Hwang Yunsang, Administrative Agent · Published 2026-10-24 · Updated 2026-10-24

Procedure

Procedure type
  • Permit Difficulty High

    A procedure that allows a business, activity or stay that the law generally restricts, after review; licenses fall into this type. The authority reviews facility standards, location and consultation with other agencies, and a permit can be refused if the standards are not met.

We will fill out the application documents for E-9 workplace change and E-7 immigration status/workplace change. Depending on your actual residency status and employment institution, we will classify the application route and whether or not a visit is included.

Scope & fee
Prepare E-9 workplace-change documents
We will prepare the relevant documents by reviewing the reason for the change in workplace, job search registration, and provided employment data for 1 E-9 worker. It does not include the worker's own job center application, job search activities, or job placement. It does not include in-office submissions.
Immigration workplace change or addition: prior permit
We compare the requirements for a change/additional permit for 1 worker's workplace with the provided employment data and prepare the permit application documents. A separate long explanation and employment center procedures are not included. It does not include in-office submissions.
E-7-4 status change: 1 worker and 1 company
We will prepare application materials by comparing the E-7-4 conversion requirements for 1 worker and 1 company with scores, income, and employment proof. We distinguish between the actual application route and the scope of identity verification and verification. It does not include in-office submissions.
Official fee source ↗
E-7-1 change of immigration status: prepare documents
We will review the E-7-1 change requirements and proof of job/employment for 1 worker and 1 company and prepare a job description, reason for employment, and application documents. It does not include embassy visas and separate employment center work. Scope of writing: 1 type of job description, 3 pages per type, 1 type of employment reason, 3 pages per type. It does not include in-office submissions.
Official fee source ↗
E-7-1 change of immigration status: includes 1 in-person filing in the Seoul metropolitan area
We will review the E-7-1 change requirements and proof of job/employment for 1 worker and 1 company and prepare a job description, reason for employment, and application documents. It does not include embassy visas and separate employment center work. Scope of writing: 1 type of job description, 3 pages per type, 1 type of employment reason, 3 pages per type. 1 office visit is included.
Official fee source ↗

  1. 1. Calculate the expiry of the employment period

    The employment period of an E-9 worker is 3 years from the date of entry (Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Article 18). Calculate the expiry date accurately from the entry date and period of stay on the alien registration card so that the re-employment deadline is not missed.

  2. 2. Employer's re-employment application

    By 7 days before the expiry date, the employer submits an application for extension of the employment period of a worker whose period expires (Enforcement Rule, Form No. 12-3) to the employment center with jurisdiction over the workplace. At least 1 month must remain in the labor contract until the expiry date, and the employment center issues a confirmation of extension within 7 days (Enforcement Rule, Article 14-2).

  3. 3. Apply for an extension of the period of stay

    When the employment period is extended, the worker must obtain permission to extend the period of stay from an immigration office before the period of stay expires in order to remain (Immigration Act, Article 25). The fee is 60,000 won (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 72(6)).

  4. 4. Check the reentry special case requirements

    The reentry special case requires all of the following: a worker who has not changed workplaces during the employment period or changed only for reasons set by law, a workplace that the Foreign Workforce Policy Committee has determined finds it difficult to hire Korean workers, and a labor contract of 1 year or longer taking effect from the day the worker reenters and starts work (Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Article 18-4(1)).

  5. 5. Reentry employment permit application and reentry

    By 7 days before the expiry of the extended employment period, the employer submits an application for an employment permit after reentry (Enforcement Rule, Form No. 12-5) with copies of the alien registration card, passport and standard labor contract (Enforcement Rule, Article 14-3). The worker may work again once 1 month has passed from departure, and the Korean language test, employment training and domestic recruitment requirements do not apply (Act, Article 18-4(2)).

Required documents

  • Application for extension of the employment period of a worker whose period expires (Enforcement Rule of the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Form No. 12-3)
  • Application for an employment permit after reentry of a re-employed worker (same Enforcement Rule, Form No. 12-5, for the reentry special case)
  • Copies of the foreign worker's alien registration card and passport
  • Copy of the standard labor contract (labor contract of 1 year or longer after reentry)
  • Integrated application form (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Form No. 34, for extension of the period of stay)
  • Confirmation of extension of the employment period (same Enforcement Rule, Form No. 12-4, issued by the employment center)
  • Materials showing the history of and reasons for workplace changes (if there were changes)
  • Fee of 60,000 won for extension of the period of stay

Fees

Administrative service fee
  • Prepare E-9 workplace-change documents from KRW 400,000
  • Immigration workplace change or addition: prior permit from KRW 400,000
  • E-7-4 status change: 1 worker and 1 company from KRW 600,000
  • E-7-1 change of immigration status: prepare documents from KRW 600,000
  • E-7-1 change of immigration status: includes 1 in-person filing in the Seoul metropolitan area from KRW 800,000
All administrative service fees exclude 10% VAT.

The government fee is 60,000 won for extension of the period of stay at the immigration office, and there is no fee for the employment center applications. Our office fee starts from the amount shown above and may vary depending on the number of workers, whether the reentry special case application is prepared at the same time, and whether the history of workplace changes must be organized; we will give you an exact quote after reviewing your documents.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

  • Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Articles 6, 7 and 11
  • Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Articles 18, 18-2, 18-3 and 18-4
  • Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Article 31
  • Enforcement Rule of the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Articles 14-2 and 14-3, Forms No. 12-3, 12-4 and 12-5
  • Immigration Act, Article 25
  • Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 72(6)

Checked against the statutes on

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

  • Both the re-employment and the reentry employment permit applications are due 7 days before expiry, and even one day late means the worker must follow the general reentry rule after departure.
  • Even with the employment center's confirmation of extension, the worker may become an overstayer if a separate extension of the period of stay is not obtained from the immigration office.

Frequently asked questions

By when must the E-9 re-employment application be filed?
The employer files it with the employment center by 7 days before the expiry of the employment period (Enforcement Rule of the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Article 14-2(1)). At least 1 month must remain in the labor contract until the expiry date, but a worker who moved workplaces for reasons set by law may apply even if less than 1 month remains.
How much longer can a worker stay after re-employment?
The period is extended only once, for less than 2 years (Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Article 18-2(1)). If departure is difficult because of an infectious disease outbreak or natural disaster, it may be extended by up to 1 year by resolution of the Foreign Workforce Policy Committee (Article 18-2(2)).
Under the diligent worker reentry special case, how soon can the worker come back after departure?
The worker may work again once 1 month has passed from the date of departure (Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Article 18-4(1)). Under the general rule outside the special case, the worker may work again only after 6 months from departure (Article 18-3).
Can a worker who changed workplaces once still use the reentry special case?
Conditionally, yes. If the worker moved for reasons not attributable to the worker, such as suspension or closure of business or the employer's violation of working conditions, and the labor contract with the employer applying for the post-reentry permit runs for 1 year or longer until the end of the employment period, the worker qualifies (Article 18-4(1)1(c)). Even if it is less than 1 year, it is possible if the employment center finds it appropriate after hearing the opinion of the foreign workers' rights protection council (item (d)).
Must a reentering worker take the Korean language test and employment training again?
No. The Korean language test and foreign worker employment training do not apply to the worker, and the domestic recruitment requirement does not apply to the employer (Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, Article 18-4(2)). Reentry employment is allowed only once (Article 18-4(3)).
What does an administrative agent do for re-employment and the reentry special case?
Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office prepares the re-employment application, the reentry employment permit application and the attachments together with the employer, and handles the submission of the application for extension of the period of stay to the immigration office.

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Contact us

Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office in Songdo, Incheon prepares and submits administrative documents and explains the procedure. If your situation is similar, send us a message.

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📍 2697, 26F POSCO Tower-Songdo, 165 Convensia-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, Republic of Korea · 📞 010-3374-2687 · 🌐 hwangadmin.com

This guide is general information based on public sources. Requirements, documents and deadlines differ by case and by the competent agency, so please confirm them before you proceed.