E-9 re-employment: extending the three-year work period

An E-9 worker can stay with the same employer for 1 year and 10 months beyond the first three years, but only if the employer asks for it before the three years run out. The request goes to the Job Center first; the worker's stay is then extended at immigration. This guide covers both counters, in the order they have to happen.

I employ foreign workers in Chungcheong and have kept workers on through this procedure. It is the least stressful E-9 procedure I deal with, mostly because the Job Center gets in touch first. The part that needs attention is the second half at immigration, which the Job Center does not do for you.

Who this applies to

This is the re-employment extension, formally the employment period extension for workers whose period has expired (취업기간 만료자 취업활동 기간 연장 · chwieop gigan mallyoja chwieop hwaldong gigan yeonjang), usually called re-employment (재고용 · jaegoyong). It applies to E-9 non-professional employment (비전문취업 · bijeonmun chwieop) workers hired under the Employment Permit System. Where it branches:

• The one-month rule. The worker's contract with the employer asking for re-employment must run for at least one month up to the end of the three years. A worker who changed workplace in the final weeks usually does not qualify with the new employer. The exception is a change that was not the worker's fault, such as the old workplace suspending business or closing; those workers can still qualify with less than a month.
• Once only. Re-employment is granted a single time, for a period of less than two years (1 year 10 months). The total is 4 years and 10 months from first entry.
• After the 4 years 10 months. A worker who wants to come back after the extended period ends goes through a different procedure. See coming back on the E-9 re-entry special scheme.
• Workplace changes during the extension. Up to two changes are allowed during the extended period, separate from the three in the first period. See changing workplace on an E-9 visa.
• Special extensions. The law allows a further extension of up to one year when entry and departure are difficult because of an epidemic or natural disaster, on a decision of the Foreign Workforce Policy Committee. This is not something an employer can apply for on its own; it happens only when the government announces it.
• H-2 holders were covered by the same rule, but new H-2 visas stopped on 12 February 2026 when H-2 was merged into F-4. Existing H-2 holders should ask 1345.

What you need to bring

At the Job Center (employer)

• The re-employment application (취업기간 만료자 취업활동 기간 연장신청서 · chwieop gigan mallyoja chwieop hwaldong gigan yeonjang sincheongseo). The counter has the form.
• The worker's details as held on the Employment Permit System. Call 1350 for the full list before you go; it can differ with the worker's history.

At the immigration office (worker, with employer documents)

• Integrated application form (통합신청서 · tonghap sincheongseo, Form No. 34).
• Passport and alien registration card (외국인등록증 · oegugin deungnokjeung).
• The fee: 60,000 won when we applied.
• Copy of the employment permit (고용허가서 · goyong heogaseo).
• Copy of the standard labour contract (표준근로계약서 · pyojun geullo gyeyakseo).
• Copy of the business registration certificate (사업자등록증 · saeopja deungnokjeung).
• The employment period extension certificate issued by the Job Center (취업기간 만료자 취업활동 기간 연장 확인서 · chwieop gigan mallyoja chwieop hwaldong gigan yeonjang hwaginseo).
• Proof of residence (체류지 입증서류 · cheryuji ipjeung seoryu): a lease, a confirmation that the employer provides housing, or a utility bill.

Where to go

Step by step

1. Mark the three-year end date. The employment period runs from the worker's first entry, not from the start of the current contract. The date is on the employment permit and the worker's records at the Job Center.
2. Wait for, or make, the first contact. In my experience the Job Center contacts the employer about three months before the three years end and asks whether we want to apply for re-employment. Do not rely on that call; if the three-month mark has passed and nobody has been in touch, call 1350.
3. Apply at the Job Center. Ministry of Employment and Labor guidance puts the window at three months to seven days before the three years end. That notice dates from 2022, so treat the last week as unsafe and check the current cut-off with 1350. I apply at the counter as soon as we are contacted rather than waiting.
4. Collect the extension certificate. If the conditions are met, the certificate is issued within seven days of the application being received.
5. Book immigration and go together. Book a visit on HiKorea at the office covering the worker's residence and apply for a stay extension (체류기간 연장허가 · cheryu gigan yeonjang heoga) before the current stay expires. I go to Daejeon with the worker. With the employer at the counter, any missing company document or question about the contract is dealt with on the spot, and we have never had to come back for a second visit.
6. Check the new expiry date on the card. The worker's stay period is updated once the extension is granted. Check the new date before leaving the counter. Ours was processed the same day.

Costs and timing

Where people get sent home

• Stopping after the Job Center. The certificate feels like the approval, and the immigration step gets pushed back. The stay expiry on the residence card is the date that matters.
• A late workplace change. A worker who moves to a new employer shortly before the three years end may not have the one month of contract the rule requires. If the move was the worker's own choice, re-employment with the new employer is likely to be refused.
• Sending the worker to immigration alone with half the papers. The business registration and contract copies come from the employer. When the worker goes alone, this is the usual gap.
• Wrong immigration office. Jurisdiction follows the worker's residence. A worker living in employer housing in one city and working in another should check which office covers the address on the card.

FAQ