VISA GUIDE
Foreign-worker visa information
Hiring foreign workers starts with choosing the right visa or system. We explain Korean and Japanese work visas by system from an HR manager's perspective.
Korean work visas
The appropriate system differs according to the workers needed, including the Employment Permit System (E-9), professional personnel (E-7), the junior-college graduate track (E-7-M), and the international-student pipeline (D-2/D-4).
- E-9View details
E-9 · Non-professional Employment E-9 (Employment Permit System)
This guide covers the employer requirements for hiring foreign workers under the Employment Permit System (E-9), the six application steps, length of stay and re-employment, and limits on workplace changes.
- E-7View details
E-7 · Specific Activities E-7 (professional and skilled personnel)
This guide explains the E-7 Specific Activities visa categories (E-7-1 to E-7-4), education and experience requirements by occupation, employer checkpoints, and the application process from the perspective of hiring foreign professionals and skilled personnel.
- E-7-MView details
E-7-M · Development-Track Technical Personnel E-7-M (K-CORE)
Korea's E-7-M (K-CORE) pilot visa from 2026: 16 designated junior-college departments, Korean and KRW 26M salary requirements, employer benefits, F-2 path.
- D-2·D-4View details
D-2·D-4 · Study D-2 · General Training D-4
This guide explains the difference between the Study (D-2) and General Training (D-4) visas, limits on part-time work while enrolled, and the path to D-10 and E-7 after graduation from the perspective of an international-student hiring pipeline.
Japanese work systems
Japan centers on Specified Skilled Worker No. 1. Requirements vary by field, including nursing care and accommodation, and Technical Intern Training transitions to Employment for Skill Development from April 2027.
- 特定技能 1号View details
特定技能 1号 · Japan Specified Skilled Worker No. 1
This guide covers the 16 fields under Japan's Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 visa, a total stay of five years, Japanese-language and skills-test requirements, the hiring process from COE to entry, and differences from technical intern training and Korea's E-9.
- 特定技能 介護View details
特定技能 介護 · Specified Skilled Worker: Nursing Care (介護)
This guide covers the three tests for Japan's Specified Skilled Worker nursing-care field (Japanese, nursing-care skills, and nursing-care Japanese), direct-employment requirements, hiring capacity against the acceptance cap, and the long-term Certified Care Worker path from a care-facility hiring perspective.
- 特定技能 宿泊View details
特定技能 宿泊 · Specified Skilled Worker: Accommodation (宿泊)
This guide covers the 宿泊業技能測定試験 in Japan's Specified Skilled Worker accommodation field, the scope of work (front desk, planning and promotion, guest service, and restaurant service), direct-employment requirements, and hiring capacity against the acceptance cap from the perspective of hotels and ryokan.
- 育成就労View details
育成就労 · Employment for Skill Development (former Technical Intern Training)
This guide covers the purpose of the Employment for Skill Development (育成就労) system, which takes effect in April 2027, how it differs from Technical Intern Training, the path to Specified Skilled Worker No. 1, and the supervising-organization structure from the perspective of a Japan staffing strategy.
Visa schemes and figures may change in line with government notices and Cabinet decisions. This page provides general information as of the date of writing; please contact us to confirm the requirements that apply to your company and the latest criteria.
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