The Ministry of Justice has refuted claims circulating in certain online communities that a foreigner holding a specific activity (E-7) employment visa invited 10 family members to South Korea.
On October 30, the Ministry stated that a comprehensive survey of family accompaniment status for foreigners with E-7 visas revealed that only 20.6% of these visa holders invited family members, with an average of 1.6 family members invited per individual.
Furthermore, only 0.2% of these visa holders invited five or more family members, and no foreigners were found to have invited 10 family members.
Recently, posts on online platforms such as 'DC Inside' and 'AFEM Korea' claimed that a Bangladeshi national with an E-7 visa had invited a spouse and nine children to register as dependents under the national health insurance system. The posts suggested that measures should be taken to prevent family invitations from foreign workers from Muslim-majority countries.
A Ministry official stated, "The foreign registration certificate, health insurance dependent details, and social media posts attached to the claims are images from different sources, and it has not been confirmed whether they pertain to the same individual."
According to the Ministry, family members that foreigners legally residing in South Korea under the E-7 visa can invite under the accompanying (F-3) visa are limited to legal spouses and minor children; parents, siblings, and relatives are not eligible for invitation.
Additionally, foreign workers in simple labor fields, such as those on E-9 visas, cannot invite family members to South Korea under the F-3 visa.
However, if an E-9 visa holder transitions to a skilled worker (E-7-4) status, family invitations may be permitted after assessing legal family status (spouse, minor children), financial capability, and independent housing. The transition to skilled worker status is evaluated based on long-term domestic employment, Korean language proficiency (completion of level 2 of the social integration program), and income (over 26 million won), within an annual quota.
In contrast, foreigners holding E-7 visas must meet income requirements based on the number of household members to invite family members from their home country. The more family members invited, the higher the income requirement. For example, a household of four, including the individual, spouse, and two children, must prove an annual income of at least 39 million won as of 2026.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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