Korea's Employment Permit System (EPS): How It Works, Who It Admits, and What Happens After (2026)

Korea's Employment Permit System (고용허가제, EPS) is the government-to-government program that places workers from 17 countries into Korean jobs in manufacturing, agriculture, fisheries, construction, and services. If you are researching how to come to Korea through this program, or you are already here and want to understand the system that admitted you, this guide covers the full picture: the application process, your rights at work, the limits of the E-9 visa, and the paths forward after your contract ends.

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What EPS is and where it came from

The problem EPS was designed to solve

Before 2004, Korea recruited low-wage workers through the Industrial Trainee System (산업기술연수생 제도). Workers were classified as "trainees," not workers. That classification meant private brokers could charge large placement fees, and workers had no protection under the Labor Standards Act. Abuse was documented and widespread.

The Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers (외국인근로자의 고용 등에 관한 법률) was enacted August 16, 2003, and entered force August 17, 2004. It replaced the trainee model with a government-to-government framework. Under EPS:

• Workers are classified as workers, not trainees. The Labor Standards Act covers them from day one.
• Private broker fees are illegal. Placement goes through government agencies on both sides.
• Bilateral MOUs between Korea and each sending country set the rules for recruitment, worker protection, and return.

The Industrial Trainee System ran alongside EPS until it was fully abolished on January 1, 2007.

Who manages EPS in Korea

Two Korean government bodies run EPS.

HRD Korea (한국산업인력공단) is the operational agency. It administers the EPS-TOPIK exam, manages the Worker Roster, handles post-arrival training, and runs the returnee support program. Its main EPS portal is eps.go.kr, available in 16 languages. Its exam portal is epstopik.hrdkorea.or.kr.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor (고용노동부, MOEL) is the supervising ministry. It sets policy, issues workplace change approvals, and enforces labor rights through its district offices. Call MOEL's multilingual hotline at 1350 (weekdays, business hours) for labor rights questions.

The 17 sending countries

As of January 2026, 17 countries have bilateral MOUs with Korea and can send EPS workers:

Tajikistan is the newest addition. Korea signed the MOU on October 31, 2024. The first EPS-TOPIK rounds in Tajikistan were held in May and August 2025, and the first workers were deployed in 2025.

2026 quota

The E-9 quota for 2026 is 80,000 workers, a 38% reduction from 130,000 in 2025 and a sharp cut from the post-pandemic peak of 165,000 in 2024. MOEL cited declining job vacancies in manufacturing and construction as the main reason (as of 2026, verify current quota at moel.go.kr).

Non-metropolitan employers can hire up to 30% above their quota allocation. Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi employers can hire up to 20% above quota.

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The application pipeline, step by step

The EPS process runs from your home country's sending agency to HRD Korea to a Korean employer. Here is how each stage works.

Step 1: Register with your sending-country agency

You cannot apply for EPS independently. You register through your country's designated government agency. Each country's agency manages eligibility checks, exam registration, and contract verification.

See the Sending-country agencies section for the full list.

Step 2: Take the EPS-TOPIK exam

Your sending agency registers you for EPS-TOPIK (EPS한국어능력시험). Pass the exam and your result is valid for 2 years. See the EPS-TOPIK exam section for full details.

Step 3: Enter the Worker Roster

Workers who pass EPS-TOPIK are placed on the Worker Roster (구직자명부). Korean employers search the Roster and select workers. Your score, sector, and your country's bilateral agreement with Korea all affect how quickly you are selected.

Higher scores increase your chances. There is no guaranteed timeline. In a competitive year with a quota of 80,000, the wait from passing EPS-TOPIK to receiving a job offer can range from several months to over a year.

Step 4: Receive a job offer and sign a Standard Labor Contract

A Korean employer selects you from the Roster and offers a contract. You and your employer sign the Standard Labor Contract (표준근로계약서), which sets your wages, hours, sector, and accommodation terms. Keep a signed copy. It is your legal protection.

The contract must state your wages at or above the minimum wage of 10,320 KRW per hour in 2026 (as of 2026, verify at moel.go.kr). Full-time at minimum wage equals approximately 2,156,880 KRW per month before deductions.

Step 5: Get your visa

Once the contract is signed and submitted, MOEL issues an Employment Permit Certificate. Your sending-country agency assists with the E-9 visa application. The visa is employer-specific. You cannot change employers without going through the MOEL workplace change process.

Step 6: Pre-departure preparation

Before you leave, your sending-country agency conducts pre-departure orientation covering Korean workplace rules and labor rights. No placement fee or broker fee should be charged at any stage. The costs you legitimately pay are: the exam registration fee, health screening costs, passport fees, and your airfare to Korea.

Step 7: Post-arrival training and registration in Korea

On arrival in Korea, you must complete mandatory post-arrival training (취업교육, Chwieop Gyoyuk) at an HRD Korea center before starting work.

The duration of post-arrival training varies. Some sources cite a 3-day program; others reference a longer period. Verify the current schedule at hrdkorea.or.kr or with your employer before arrival.

Within 90 days of arrival, register your Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증, ARC) at your local immigration office (출입국·외국인청). The ARC is your official ID in Korea. You need it for banking, healthcare, and most official transactions.

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The EPS-TOPIK exam

Format

All questions are multiple choice. The combined maximum score is 200. A score of 80 or above is a pass.

Your result is valid for 2 years from the release date. If you do not receive a job offer within 2 years, you will need to retake the exam.

By-industry variations

Some countries and industries require additional tests on top of the standard EPS-TOPIK. Indonesia requires a two-stage exam for the manufacturing sector: Stage 1 is EPS-TOPIK and Stage 2 is a Skills and Competency Test. Confirm with your sending-country agency whether your sector requires additional testing.

Exam fees and locations

Fees and testing locations vary by country. Philippines 2026: USD 24, with testing centers in Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, Pampanga, and Baguio. Indonesia 2025: approximately USD 28, paid via BNI Bank, conducted as a computer-based test. Vietnam: confirm current fee and registration dates at colab.moha.gov.vn.

As of January 2026, there are 35 EPS-TOPIK test centers across the 17 sending countries.

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Your first months in Korea: insurances, registration, and wages

The 4 mandatory insurances

Once your contract starts, four insurances apply. Two are your employer's responsibility. Two are yours.

Your employer must enroll you in:

Your employer must enroll you in Departure Guarantee Insurance within 15 days of your contract start date. After your contract begins, verify that this enrollment happened. If it has not, contact MOEL at 1350. The money goes into an account in your name and belongs to you.

You must enroll yourself in:

Return Cost Insurance amounts are based on easylaw.go.kr data. Verify current tier amounts at eps.go.kr before enrolling, as these can be updated.

Miss the 80-day deadline for Return Cost Insurance and you risk a fine.

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Workplace rules and the mobility problem

What the current rules say

Your E-9 visa is tied to a specific employer and a specific sector. You cannot simply change jobs the way a Korean worker can.

Workplace transfers (사업장 변경, saeopjang byeongyeong) are permitted only in specific circumstances:

• The employer has closed or suspended operations
• The employer has violated the contract terms
• The employer has committed physical or verbal abuse
• You were injured and cannot continue the work
• Your employment permit was officially cancelled
• MOEL has notified that continuation is impossible through no fault of your own

You apply for a transfer through your local MOEL district office (고용복지플러스센터). You can change workplaces up to 3 times during your initial 3-year period and up to 2 more times during the extension period.

The September 2024 same-region rule

Since September 2024, workplace transfers are restricted to the same industry AND the same region as your original workplace. Korea is divided into regional zones for this purpose. You cannot transfer to an employer in a different region, even within the same sector.

This change was introduced following pressure from rural and small-town employers who said workers were moving to the Seoul metropolitan area. Worker advocates argued it traps workers in locations where abuse is harder to report and harder to escape.

The December 2025 reform task force

In December 2025, MOEL launched a task force to review the workplace change rules. As of January 2026, two options were under discussion: allow transfers after 1 year of service, or after 2 years. The task force originally targeted a completed roadmap by the end of March 2026.

As of April 2026, no reform has been enacted and no published roadmap has been confirmed. The rules described above remain in effect. Verify current status at moel.go.kr before relying on any announced changes.

For a full breakdown of your workplace rights, including what to do if your employer is abusive or has not paid you, see the E-9 Worker Rights guide.

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Family separation: the hard truth

E-9 does not allow family

The E-9 visa does not permit spouses or children to accompany you to Korea, or to join you during your contract. This is not an administrative gap you can work around. It is a deliberate structural feature of the EPS design. Your family stays in your home country for the full duration of your contract.

The maximum E-9 stay is 4 years and 10 months. That is the ceiling.

The only path to a longer stay: E-7-4

The E-7-4 is the sub-category of the skilled worker visa for EPS workers converting to longer-term status. The requirements are strict:

Applications go through HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) under a birth-year rotation system. The 2025 E-7-4 quota was approximately 33,000 spots (verify current quota at immigration.go.kr).

E-7-4 quota and K-Point thresholds are reviewed annually. Verify current figures at hikorea.go.kr or the Ministry of Justice immigration portal before applying.

The path to family reunion

E-7-4 does not immediately resolve the family separation. The full ladder is:

E-9 (up to 4 yr 10 mo) → E-7-4 (skilled worker, longer-term stay) → F-2 (long-term resident, 장기체류) → F-5 (permanent resident, 영주)

Only at F-2 status and above can family members join you in Korea. This process typically takes 8 to 12 years in total, depending on how quickly you qualify for each step.

Mental health and isolation

The family separation that EPS requires is a documented source of psychological harm. Since 2008, 259 Nepalese EPS workers have died in Korea. Of those, 70 deaths were by suicide. In August 2024, the Korean government cut funding for migrant worker support centers.

If you are struggling with isolation, contact the Migrant Workers Center network at 1644-0655 (14 languages). Your sending-country embassy also has consular support services.

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The Sincere Worker re-entry program

What it is

The Sincere Worker re-entry program (성실근로자 재입국 특례, Seongsil Geungnoja Jaeipguk Teukrye) rewards workers who complete their full term without violations with faster re-entry to the same employer.

Standard process: You complete your 4-year-10-month contract, leave Korea, and re-enter Korea through the full EPS process including a new EPS-TOPIK exam. That process can take a year or more.

Sincere Worker process: You leave Korea for 1 month, then return to the same employer and sector. You skip the Roster wait.

The October 14, 2021 reform

The April 13, 2021 partial amendment to the EPS Act, effective October 14, 2021, made two important changes to this program:

1. The mandatory departure period before re-entry was reduced from 3 months to 1 month.
2. Workers who changed workplaces during their term are no longer automatically disqualified. You still qualify if you spent your entire 4-year-10-month term in the same industry as when you started, and your current contract with the re-entry employer has at least 1 year remaining when you apply.

If you heard about Sincere Worker eligibility rules before late 2021, those rules have changed. The key date is October 14, 2021.

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After your contract: returnee support

HRD Korea's Happy Return Program

HRD Korea operates the Happy Return Program to help workers build skills during their time in Korea and find employment after returning home. The program offers vocational training on Sundays during your employment period through partner vocational institutes. On return, HRD Korea connects workers with Korean-affiliated companies operating in their home countries and with job placement support.

The number of partner vocational institutes and the current EPS Returnee Job Fair schedule were not confirmed in primary sources at time of publication. Check hrdkorea.or.kr for current program details.

Skills certification and post-return job placement

Workers who complete training during their EPS stay receive documentation of their skills. Korean companies operating factories, farms, and service businesses in sending countries do recruit from the returnee pool. HRD Korea's returnee support centers in sending countries coordinate this matching.

Contact your sending-country agency's EPS office for the current reintegration program schedule. In the Philippines, contact the DMW EPS unit at eps.dmw.gov.ph. In Vietnam, contact COLAB at colab.moha.gov.vn.

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Honest limits and structural problems

The EPS system has real, documented problems. These are not edge cases. They are reported by Korean government agencies, the UN, and worker advocacy organizations. You should know them before you arrive.

Wage theft

Between January and July 2024, 14,913 workers at 4,124 Korean businesses experienced wage theft. Unpaid wages totaled approximately 70 billion KRW (approximately USD 52 million). Foreign workers make up 3.2% of the total Korean workforce but account for 8.5% of all wage theft victims.

The employer-tied visa structure is a structural cause. Workers who cannot easily leave an employer have less leverage when wages are withheld.

If your wages are unpaid: Call 1350 (MOEL), file online at moel.go.kr, or visit your local MOEL district office. The statute of limitations is 3 years from each unpaid payday. See the E-9 Worker Rights guide for the full filing process.

Workplace deaths

In Q3 2025, 60 of 457 workplace fatalities in Korea involved foreign workers. That is 13.1% of deaths from a group that makes up approximately 3.5% of the workforce. Agriculture and fisheries are the highest-risk sectors.

In June 2024, a fire at the Aricell battery factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, killed 23 workers: 18 Chinese nationals, 1 Laotian national, 2 South Koreans, and 2 others.

Industrial accident insurance (산재보험) covers all E-9 workers from day one. If you are injured at work, go to the hospital first and tell the hospital you are filing an industrial accident claim. See the E-9 Worker Rights guide for the full claims process.

Greenhouse housing

Agricultural workers in Korea sometimes live in plastic greenhouse dormitories (비닐하우스 숙소, binil hauseu sukso). These structures are unheated, often unsafe, and are structurally inadequate as housing.

In December 2020, Nuon Sokkheng, a Cambodian EPS worker in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, died in a greenhouse dormitory with temperatures of minus 18 degrees Celsius and a non-functioning heater. On January 30, 2026, the Korean Supreme Court ruled on the case and MOEL pledged to end the use of greenhouse dormitories.

As of March 2026, 22.8% of seasonal migrant workers still reside in temporary structures including plastic greenhouses and containers. MOEL's pledge has not yet been fully implemented.

If your employer provides housing, the accommodation must meet Labor Standards Act standards. Deductions for housing that does not meet these standards are illegal. Report violations to MOEL at 1350.

Undocumented status

As of 2024, 134,580 people who originally entered Korea on legal worker visas, including E-9 holders, had overstayed their authorized period and were undocumented. Overstaying is illegal and carries multi-year re-entry bans.

Korea's Ministry of Justice ran a Special Voluntary Departure Program from December 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026 that offered reduced penalties for workers who departed voluntarily without a criminal history. That window has closed. Verify whether any follow-on program was announced at immigration.go.kr.

If you are currently undocumented, consult your home country's embassy in Seoul or a licensed Korean immigration attorney before taking action.

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Related visas: E-8, E-7-4, H-2, and F-4

E-8 vs E-9: the key differences

E-8 and E-9 are separate programs with different rules, different agencies, and different rights.

The Philippines signed a Joint Memorandum Circular with South Korea on November 4, 2025, formalizing the Seasonal Workers Program for Filipino workers. That JMC applies to E-8 seasonal work only. It does not change the E-9 EPS process for Filipino workers.

E-7-4 skilled worker conversion

If you qualify, E-7-4 is the bridge from E-9 to a longer-term future in Korea. See the requirements in the Family section above. The section minimum rule is important: even if your total K-Point score reaches 200, you are disqualified if you score below 50 on either the Income section or the Korean Language section.

Applications go through HiKorea. The birth-year rotation system staggers applications across months to prevent server overloads.

H-2 and F-4: not EPS

H-2 (방문취업, Bangmun Chwiyeop) was a Working Visit Visa for ethnic Koreans from China and CIS countries. As of February 12, 2026, new H-2 visas are no longer issued. Ethnic Koreans now apply under the unified F-4 (재외동포) status.

F-4 holders have significantly broader employment rights than E-9 holders. If you are an ethnic Korean from any country, you may be eligible for F-4 instead of EPS. See the F-4, F-5, and F-6 work rights guide for details. F-4 is entirely separate from the EPS system.

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Sending-country agencies

Your country's designated government agency is your official point of contact for EPS registration, EPS-TOPIK scheduling, contract verification, and pre-departure assistance. All contact with the Korean side goes through HRD Korea (eps.go.kr) and your Korean employer's MOEL registration.

Philippines

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW, formerly POEA) manages EPS for Filipino workers. DMW absorbed POEA in 2021. The official EPS portal is eps.dmw.gov.ph.

No placement fee or broker fee is permitted under Philippine and Korean law. Legitimate costs: exam fee (USD 24 for 2026 EPS-TOPIK), health screening, passport fees, airfare. If anyone asks for more than these official government-authorized amounts, report them to DMW.

Philippines resumed EPS-TOPIK registration on April 20, 2026. The November 2025 Philippines-Korea Joint Memorandum Circular covers the Seasonal Workers Program (E-8) only. It does not change the E-9 EPS registration process.

Vietnam

COLAB (Center of Overseas Labour) manages EPS for Vietnamese workers. As of March 1, 2025, COLAB operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA, Bộ Nội vụ). Vietnam's Resolution 176/2025 merged the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) into MOHA, effective March 1, 2025. Older Vietnamese documents and websites will still reference MOLISA or the legacy colab.gov.vn domain.

Use colab.moha.gov.vn for current information. The legacy colab.gov.vn domain still resolves as of April 2026.

Age eligibility for Vietnamese EPS applicants: 18 to 39 years old (specific birth year cutoffs vary by recruitment cycle; confirm at colab.moha.gov.vn).

Vietnam's EPS program has historically been subject to provincial restrictions, with provinces that had high overstay rates facing exclusion from EPS recruitment. The current status of these provincial restrictions was not confirmed from primary sources at time of publication. Verify current provincial eligibility at colab.moha.gov.vn before applying.

Quick-reference table: other sending countries

Indonesia note: The manufacturing sector uses a two-stage exam. Stage 1 is EPS-TOPIK. Stage 2 is a Skills and Competency Test. The 2025 exam fee was approximately USD 28. Confirm current requirements at bp2mi.go.id.

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FAQ

How long does the full EPS process take, from registering for EPS-TOPIK to arriving in Korea? There is no fixed timeline. Passing EPS-TOPIK puts you on the Worker Roster. Korean employers then select from the Roster, which can take several months to over a year depending on sector demand and your score. The 2026 quota is 80,000, down from 165,000 in 2024, so the Roster is more competitive. Register early and prepare well.

Can I choose my Korean employer? No. Employers select you from the Roster. You can indicate a sector preference, but the initial matching is employer-driven. After you arrive, you may transfer workplaces under limited conditions. Since September 2024, transfers must stay within your original region and industry.

Can I bring my spouse or children to Korea on an E-9 visa? No. The E-9 visa does not permit family accompaniment or long-term family visits. Your family stays in your home country for the full duration of your contract. The only path to legal family reunion is converting to E-7-4 after at least 4 years of work, then progressing to F-2 long-term residency.

What is the Sincere Worker program and how do I qualify? The Sincere Worker re-entry program (성실근로자 재입국 특례) lets you leave Korea for just 1 month and return to the same employer, instead of waiting 3 months. To qualify: you completed your full 4-year-10-month term in the same industry, and your current employer's contract has at least 1 year remaining. Your employer applies on your behalf before you depart. This program was reformed by the EPS Act amendment effective October 14, 2021.

What is EPS-TOPIK and how hard is it? EPS-TOPIK (EPS한국어능력시험) is a workplace-specific Korean language test: 40 multiple-choice questions, 70 minutes total, pass score 80 out of 200. It tests practical Korean: safety signs, work instructions, simple conversations. Free study materials in 16 languages are at epstopik.hrdkorea.or.kr.

My employer has not paid me. What do I do? Call 1350 (MOEL labor rights hotline, weekdays with multilingual support). You can also file online at moel.go.kr or visit your local MOEL district office. Your E-9 status does not prevent you from filing. The statute of limitations is 3 years from each unpaid payday.

Can I stay in Korea longer than 4 years and 10 months on an E-9? Not on the E-9 visa itself. The maximum is 4 years and 10 months. The only legal path to a longer stay is converting to E-7-4 (skilled worker visa) before that deadline. E-7-4 requires at least 4 years of prior work, a salary of 26 million KRW per year or more, and a K-Point score of at least 200 out of 300, with section minimums applying.

What is the difference between E-9 and E-8 seasonal work? E-9 (EPS) is administered nationally by HRD Korea, covers five sectors, and allows stays up to 4 years 10 months. E-8 is seasonal agricultural and fisheries work, administered through local government agreements, with stays up to 8 months. Different application process, different rights, different agencies. The November 2025 Philippines-Korea Joint Memorandum Circular covers E-8 only, not E-9.

If I overstay my E-9 visa, what are my options? Overstaying carries penalties including deportation and multi-year re-entry bans. Korea's Ministry of Justice ran a Special Voluntary Departure Program from December 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026 with reduced penalties for voluntary departures. That window has closed. If you are currently undocumented, consult your home country's embassy in Seoul or a Korean immigration attorney before acting.

Does a factory worker from Vietnam apply through MOLISA? No. As of March 1, 2025, Vietnam merged MOLISA into MOHA under Resolution 176/2025. COLAB, which manages EPS for Vietnamese workers, now operates under MOHA. The official portal is colab.moha.gov.vn. Older Vietnamese materials may still reference MOLISA.

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Last verified: April 2026. The 2026 E-9 quota, workplace change reform task force status, and E-7-4 K-Point thresholds are subject to annual review. Verify at moel.go.kr, eps.go.kr, and hikorea.go.kr before making decisions. Vietnam COLAB: as of March 1, 2025, parent ministry is MOHA (formerly MOLISA). Philippine DMW: all EPS registration goes through eps.dmw.gov.ph. Mongolia sending-country agency URL: verify at eps.go.kr or contact HRD Korea at +82-2-509-2114.