How many Vietnamese nationals held Korea’s E-7-1 professional visa in 2026, and how much did the number rise from 2022?

As of August, 3,572 Vietnamese nationals held the E-7-1 visa. That was 1.84 times the 1,938 holders recorded in 2022.

Which nationalities saw the biggest changes in Korea’s E-7-1 visa holders over the past four years?

Indian holders increased to 1,014, up 1.46 times from 2022. By contrast, Chinese holders fell to 1,566 from 2,213, and American holders declined to 1,355 from 1,471.

What did Rep. Kim Joon-hwan say about the rise in foreign tech talent on E-7 visas?

Kim described the influx of tech talent as a positive sign. He also said Korea needs better working and living conditions for those workers to create bigger synergy.

Vietnamese professionals in Korea nearly double over 4 years

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Summary

Vietnamese nationals holding Korea’s E-7-1 professional visa have nearly doubled over four years, reaching 3,572 in August, according to justice ministry data submitted to Rep. Kim Joon-hwan of the Democratic Party of Korea. The visa is for foreign nationals working in government-designated professional fields such as information technology and robotics. Indian holders also increased, while Chinese and American holders declined. Kim called the influx of tech talent a positive sign and said working and living conditions need improvement.

Key Facts

As of August, 3,572 Vietnamese nationals held the E-7-1 visa, up from 1,938 in 2022.
Indian nationals holding the E-7-1 visa rose 1.46 times to 1,014 over the same period.
Chinese E-7-1 holders fell to 1,566 from 2,213 in 2022, and American holders slipped to 1,355 from 1,471.
Chinese nationals made up 80.6 percent of all 10,759 E-7-2 semi-professional visa holders.
Rep. Kim Joon-hwan said the influx of tech talent is a positive sign, but working and living conditions must improve for bigger synergy.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 20, 2026 11:59 am KST

National flags of Vietnam and Korea / Captured from VNA

The number of Vietnamese nationals holding Korea's E-7-1 professional visa has nearly doubled over the past four years, data showed Sunday.

As of August, 3,572 Vietnamese nationals held the visa, up 1.84 times from 1,938 in 2022, according to the data submitted to Rep. Kim Joon-hwan of the Democratic Party of Korea by the justice ministry.

The E-7-1 visa is granted to foreign nationals working in government-designated professional fields such as information technology and robotics.

Indian nationals saw a similar rise, growing 1.46 times to 1,014 during the same period.

Chinese nationals holding the visa, by contrast, declined to 1,566 from 2,213 in 2022. American E-7-1 holders also slipped to 1,355 from 1,471.

Meanwhile, Chinese nationals dominate a separate visa category, the semi-professional E-7-2, which covers areas such as caregiving. They accounted for 80.6 percent of all 10,759 E-7-2 holders.

The lawmaker called the influx of such tech talent "a positive sign," but said the country needs to improve working and living conditions for those workers to generate "bigger synergy."

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