Visa information
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.
System-by-system guidance based on official government criteria
Korean work visas
The appropriate system differs according to the workers needed, including the Employment Permit System (E-9), professional personnel (E-7), and the international-student pipeline (D-2/D-4).
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.
View detailsE-7Specific 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.
View detailsD-2·D-4Study 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.
View detailsJapanese 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
View detailsComparing E-9, Specified Skilled Worker No. 1, and Employment for Skill Development
All three support the hiring of foreign workers in labor-shortage industries, but their legal nature and structure differ. They are the three systems most often compared when considering hiring in Korea and Japan together.
| Category | Korea E-9 | Japan Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 | Japan Employment for Skill Development (from Apr. 2027) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal nature | Work visa for non-professional foreign workers | Employment status for immediately productive workers in labor-shortage fields | A development system premised on transition to Specified Skilled Worker status |
| Length of stay | Three years initially, plus a re-employment extension | Five years in total | Transition to Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 after the development period |
| Pre-entry examination | Employment Permit System procedures such as EPS-TOPIK | Japanese-language test plus field-specific skills test | Development is integral to the system's purpose (requirements are set by field) |
| Intermediary | Government-to-government G2G referral | None (direct company employment; support may be outsourced) | Supervising and support organization structure remains |
| Workplace/job change | Workplace changes are restricted | Job changes are possible within the same field | Restricted |
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.
Let us first confirm your company’s requirements
Tell us the role, headcount, preferred timeline, and visa direction, and we will outline the available process and preparation order.