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D-7 Intra-Company Transferee

South KoreaWork

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What type of worker, employment situation, occupation or professional activity is this pathway actually designed for?

D-7 covers qualifying essential specialist staff sent after at least one year at an overseas public body, organisation, company head office or branch to a Korean affiliate, subsidiary, branch or office; the decree also covers specified staff of an overseas subsidiary/branch of a Korean listed company or public institution sent to its Korean headquarters to transfer or receive professional knowledge or skills. The one-year overseas-service rule has stated strategic-industry and ministerial exceptions.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The cited current decree defines the status and its employer/professional scope. Individual qualification documents, permission, actual grant length and any employer-change procedure require separate route-specific evidence.
  • Current Enforcement Decree Appendix 1-2, D-7 long-stay category, effective 2026-09-15
    가. 외국의 공공기관ㆍ단체 또는 회사의 본사, 지사, 그 밖의 사업소 등에서 1년 이상 근무한 사람으로서 대한민국에 있는 그 계열회사, 자회사, 지점 또는 사무소 등에 필수 전 문인력으로 파견되어 근무하려는 사람[기업투자(D-8) 체류 자격에 해당하는 사람은 제외하며, 국가기간산업 또는 국 책사업에 종사하려는 경우나 그 밖에 법무부장관이 필요 하다고 인정하는 경우에는 1년 이상의 근무요건을 적용하 10. 주재 지 않는다] (D-7) 나. 「자본시장과 금융투자업에 관한 법률」 제9조제15항제1 호에 따른 상장법인 또는 「공공기관의 운영에 관한 법 률」 제4조제1항에 따른 공공기관이 설립한 해외 현지법 인이나 해외지점에서 1년 이상 근무한 사람으로서 대한민 국에 있는 그 본사나 본점에 파견되어 전문적인 지식ㆍ기 술 또는 기능을 제공하거나 전수받으려는 사람(상장법인의 해외 현지법인이나 해외지점 중 본사의 투자금액이 미화 50만 달러 미만인 경우는 제외한다) 가. 「외국인투자 촉진법」에 따른 외국인투자기업의 경영ㆍ 관리 또는 생산ㆍ기술 분야에 종사하려는 필수전문인력으 로서 법무부장관이 인정하는 사람[외국인이 경영하는 기업 (법인은 제외한다)에 투자한 사람 및 국내에서 채용된 사

Does the applicant need a job offer, employer, sponsor, transfer relationship or other employer involvement? What is important about that employer relationship?

An actual intra-company dispatch is central. One route sends an essential specialist from an overseas head office/branch or related entity to its Korean affiliate, subsidiary, branch or office, generally after at least one year overseas. A second route covers a worker from an overseas subsidiary/branch of a Korean listed company or public institution assigned to its Korean head office for professional knowledge or skill transfer, subject to the decree’s investment and service conditions.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The cited current decree defines the status and its employer/professional scope. Individual qualification documents, permission, actual grant length and any employer-change procedure require separate route-specific evidence.
  • Current Enforcement Decree Appendix 1-2, D-7 long-stay category, effective 2026-09-15
    가. 외국의 공공기관ㆍ단체 또는 회사의 본사, 지사, 그 밖의 사업소 등에서 1년 이상 근무한 사람으로서 대한민국에 있는 그 계열회사, 자회사, 지점 또는 사무소 등에 필수 전 문인력으로 파견되어 근무하려는 사람[기업투자(D-8) 체류 자격에 해당하는 사람은 제외하며, 국가기간산업 또는 국 책사업에 종사하려는 경우나 그 밖에 법무부장관이 필요 하다고 인정하는 경우에는 1년 이상의 근무요건을 적용하 10. 주재 지 않는다] (D-7) 나. 「자본시장과 금융투자업에 관한 법률」 제9조제15항제1 호에 따른 상장법인 또는 「공공기관의 운영에 관한 법 률」 제4조제1항에 따른 공공기관이 설립한 해외 현지법 인이나 해외지점에서 1년 이상 근무한 사람으로서 대한민 국에 있는 그 본사나 본점에 파견되어 전문적인 지식ㆍ기 술 또는 기능을 제공하거나 전수받으려는 사람(상장법인의 해외 현지법인이나 해외지점 중 본사의 투자금액이 미화 50만 달러 미만인 경우는 제외한다) 가. 「외국인투자 촉진법」에 따른 외국인투자기업의 경영ㆍ 관리 또는 생산ㆍ기술 분야에 종사하려는 필수전문인력으 로서 법무부장관이 인정하는 사람[외국인이 경영하는 기업 (법인은 제외한다)에 투자한 사람 및 국내에서 채용된 사

What are the few decisive professional characteristics of the pathway: occupation, qualifications, experience, salary, skill level, shortage status, labour-market condition or equivalent?

The checked official sources did not provide enough route-specific evidence to confirm the decisive professional requirements of this route.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Not established: the correction failed a second independent check (CAIXA_ERRADA: The cit is the D-7 overview (works at a Korean branch of a foreign company / stationed for an overseas company), i.e. the transfer relationship with the employer. It gives no professional-fit criterion, and the residual admits there is none.)

What work does the permission allow? Is the holder tied to an employer, occupation or sector? Can family accompany where clearly established?

D-7 holders can invite their spouse and underage children as F-3; parents (including spouse's parents) can be invited as F-1 if annual income exceeds twice the previous year's GNI (GNI level for Korean-university graduates). The official source does not state what work is allowed or whether the holder is tied to the transferring employer.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Whether the holder is tied to the transferring employer and what work is allowed is not stated.
  • https://www.immigration.go.kr/bbs/immigration_eng/230/454085/download.do
    - (F-3, Dependent Family) Those staying on D-7(Intra-company Transferee) to D-9 (International Trade) status can invite their spouse and underage children as F-3 (Dependent Family) status
  • https://www.immigration.go.kr/bbs/immigration_eng/230/454085/download.do
    - (F-1, Parents of Foreign Talent, Investors and International Students) Those with D-7 (Intra- company Transferee) to D-9 (International Trade) status, whose annual income is more than twice the previous year's GNI can invite their parents (including parents of spouse) as F-1 status. However, for those who have acquired a bachelor's degree or higher from a domestic university and have changed to the above status, the requirements have been eased to an annual income equal to the GNI level or higher.

How long is the permission normally granted for, how is it renewed, and what longer-term residence direction exists if officially stated?

The current Immigration Control Act Enforcement Rule consolidation effective 15 September 2026 retains Appendix 1, internally revised 24 December 2024, setting the ordinary maximum period of stay for D-7 Intra-Company Transferee at three years. The Appendix note allows the Minister of Justice to permit a stay beyond a listed ceiling under Article 25 when considered necessary; that exception is discretionary. The May 2023 English Visa Navigator marks this status extendable, but that is a historical guide rather than the current extension procedure.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The current official schedule confirms an ordinary category ceiling with a discretionary ministerial exception, not the individual grant or automatic extension. The May 2023 Navigator extension marker is historical; the current route-specific extension process, family rights and later status are not established by these citations.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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