# South Korea Visa Sponsorship Jobs for Indians: How Hiring Works > How Korean employers sponsor Indian hires: the E-7 visa issuance number, the 2026 wage floors, short-term C-4-5 dispatches from Indian firms, Gold Card e-Visas and the red flags to watch. _Published: 2026-11-03 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1080_ ## TL;DR In Korea, the employer drives sponsorship: a skilled Indian hire on the E-7 visa needs a visa issuance number from Korea and a 2026 salary of at least KRW 25.89 million to KRW 31.12 million a year, then submits at a KVAC for Rs. 5400. Indian companies can also send staff for under 90 days on the C-4-5 short-term employment visa. ## Key takeaways - The E-7 is Korea's main employer-sponsored route for skilled foreign workers; the visa issuance number comes from Korea before you apply in India. - 2026 E-7 wage floors run from KRW 25.89 million (E-7-2, E-7-3) to KRW 31.12 million (E-7-1) a year. - Indian companies can send staff on the C-4-5 short-term employment visa (under 90 days) with a contract between the Indian and Korean companies. - E-7 experts with a Gold Card employment recommendation can get an e-Visa through the Korea Visa Portal. - India is not in Korea's Working Holiday Program, and the F-1-D digital nomad visa does not allow local employment. **Korean visa sponsorship runs through the employer. According to Korea's Ministry of Justice and the Korean Visa Application Centres, a skilled Indian hired on the E-7 visa needs a visa issuance number from Korea and, in 2026, pay of at least KRW 25.89 million to KRW 31.12 million a year before submitting at a KVAC.** ## Article This page explains the hiring routes the official sources describe, as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For visitor visas, centres and fees across categories, see our South Korea visa guide for Indians. ### What does visa sponsorship mean for a Korean job? In the Korean system, you do not apply for a work visa and then look for a job. The order is reversed. The E-7 (professional and skilled workers) is described as the main employer-sponsored route for skilled foreign workers, and applicants submit the long-term visa application at a KVAC in India only after they have a visa issuance number from Korea. In practice, a "sponsorship job" means a Korean employer willing to hire you on terms that meet the E-7 rules and to secure that number. Without it, the KVAC in Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai or elsewhere has nothing to process for long-term employment. The paperwork reflects this. The Mumbai-jurisdiction VFS site lists a separate category, "Issuance of Visa Confirmation", for visa issuance number holders, and the Chennai/Bengaluru KVAC publishes a "Long Term Visa - Visa Issuance No." checklist. Both assume the Korean side has already done its part before you walk in. ### Which hiring routes can bring an Indian to Korea? RouteWho arranges itWhat it coversVisa fee at the KVAC (normal)E-7 long-term employmentKorean employer (visa issuance number from Korea)Professional, semi-professional and skilled jobsRs. 5400E-7 with Gold Card recommendationKorean employer; e-Visa issued through the Korea Visa PortalExperts holding a Gold Card employment recommendation, and their F-3 familyApplied online, not at a KVACC-4-5 short-term employmentIndian employer dispatching you to a Korean companyAssignments under 90 days, such as equipment installation or technical supportRs. 3600Top-Tier visaApplies to staff of national or public research institutes and universitiesOutstanding science and technology professors and researchersNot listed in the KVAC fee tablesExpress processing for a long-term employment visa costs Rs. 8100. A VFS service charge is added: Rs. 1380 on the Chennai/Bengaluru checklists, Rs. 1600 on their centre pages and Rs. 1000 at the Mumbai-jurisdiction centres. ### How much must a sponsoring employer pay? Ministry of Justice Notice 2025-406 sets the 2026 minimum annual wage for E-7 jobs, applying from 1 February to 31 December 2026: - E-7-1 professional workers: KRW 31.12 million or more. - E-7-2 semi-professional workers: KRW 25.89 million or more. - E-7-3 general skilled workers: KRW 25.89 million or more. - E-7-4 skilled workers: KRW 26 million or more. Some occupations follow a different wage standard set by the Minister of Justice, for example to protect jobs for Korean nationals. Those exceptions are not listed in the 2026 notice, so ask the employer which standard your role falls under and get the salary in writing. ### Can an Indian company send you to Korea instead? Yes, for short stays. The C-4-5 short-term employment visa is for work in Korea of less than 90 days, and your Indian employer stays in the picture. The checklists ask for: - the contract between the Indian and Korean companies (the Mumbai list calls it a service contract); - a dispatch and transfer order from your Indian employer; - an invitation letter from Korea (a copy is accepted) and the inviting company's business registration, plus a guarantee letter from the inviting company at Chennai; - for equipment installation or technical support visits, the Korean company's purchase order (Mumbai jurisdiction); - your employment proof, 2 years' ITR acknowledgment with PAN, and 6 months' bank statement. Processing at Mumbai-jurisdiction centres is 10 working days minimum in Mumbai and 12 in Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Goa. ### How do you find a sponsor if you are not hired yet? The official option is the D-10-1 job seeker visa, but it is narrow. Within the last 3 years you must have worked at least 1 year at a Fortune Global 500 company, graduated from a Times Higher Education top 200 university, graduated from a Korean community college or higher, or completed research at a Korean university. It is single entry, valid 3 months, with a stay of up to 6 months. Master's-or-higher graduates of the world's top 100 universities can get Pre-Top-Tier (D-10) job-seeking status, per the Embassy's notice of 16 July 2026. Two other routes are closed for job hunting: India is not in Korea's Working Holiday Program, and the F-1-D digital nomad visa does not allow local employment. ### Red flags in a Korean sponsorship offer - Pay below the E-7 floor for the category, with no explanation of a special wage standard. - A promise that the visa will be granted. The Chennai consulate's KVAC page says grant or refusal is at the consulate's sole discretion. - Being told to travel on a tourist visa to start work. The Mumbai-jurisdiction checklist says business visits must not use a tourist visa; long-term employment needs the work visa. - Adult entertainment work. E-6-2 work at adult entertainment establishments is excluded from the job seeker route. - Links to look-alike visa sites. The Chennai consulate has warned about counterfeit Korea Visa Portal websites; the real portal is www.visa.go.kr. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or talk to us through our contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### What documents does an Indian E-7 hire submit at the KVAC? The Chennai/Bengaluru long-term checklist asks for a passport valid more than 6 months, 2 colour photos, the online application form, an original TB test report from a designated lab, a health condition form and the visa issuance number. Research visas also need an apostilled copy of the latest degree. #### Can my spouse work in Korea if I am sponsored? The official sources describe a long-term dependent family visa for the spouse or unmarried children under 20 of a foreigner registered in Korea, but they do not state whether a dependant may work. Check this with the employer before relying on a second income. #### Does Korea publish how many Indians get work visas? No. Korea publishes no visa refusal or approval rate for Indian applicants on the mission, Visa Portal or KVAC pages checked. #### How long does a sponsored Korean work visa take at Chennai or Bengaluru? Normal processing is 25 working days minimum in Chennai and 27 in Bengaluru, excluding the day of submission. Express is 7 and 9 working days minimum. ## FAQ ### What documents does an Indian E-7 hire submit at the KVAC? The Chennai/Bengaluru long-term checklist asks for a passport valid more than 6 months, 2 colour photos, the online application form, an original TB test report from a designated lab, a health condition form and the visa issuance number. Research visas also need an apostilled copy of the latest degree. ### Can my spouse work in Korea if I am sponsored? The official sources describe a long-term dependent family visa for the spouse or unmarried children under 20 of a foreigner registered in Korea, but they do not state whether a dependant may work. Check this with the employer before relying on a second income. ### Does Korea publish how many Indians get work visas? No. Korea publishes no visa refusal or approval rate for Indian applicants on the mission, Visa Portal or KVAC pages checked. ### How long does a sponsored Korean work visa take at Chennai or Bengaluru? Normal processing is 25 working days minimum in Chennai and 27 in Bengaluru, excluding the day of submission. Express is 7 and 9 working days minimum. ## Sources 1. [Ministry of Justice (Korea) Notice 2025-406 - 2026 E-7 wage requirements (PDF)](https://www.immigration.go.kr/bbs/immigration/211/488810/download.do) — Ministry of Justice, Republic of Korea 2. [VFS Global KVAC — Checklist Short Term Employment Visa (2026)](https://www.visaforkorea-ce.com/assets/pdfs/short-term-employment-visa-2026-new.pdf) — VFS Global (Korean Visa Application Centre) 3. [Korea Visa Portal - e-Visa (applicable status of stay)](https://www.visa.go.kr/openPage.do?MENU_ID=10201&LANG_TYPE=EN) — Korea Visa Portal (Ministry of Justice)