Skills test, job-seeker roster, employer selection, the E-9 visa
Those above the sector floor in the language test are called to the skills test (기능시험): physical strength (lifting), colour vision, eyesight, handling basic tools, a simple sector task; work experience and qualification certificates can sometimes add points. Then the medical examination: infectious diseases, drugs, eyesight, chronic conditions. Those who pass both are entered into HRD Korea's job-seeker roster (구직자 명부).
The roster is valid for 2 years (from the result announcement). Korean employers pick candidates from it themselves — by score, age, experience and skills-test result; the candidate cannot choose the employer and does not know in advance which city or company they will go to. So a high score matters not only for "passing" but for the chance of being picked. The selected candidate receives a standard employment contract (표준근로계약서) — read the pay, hours and accommodation clauses before signing; refusing after signing affects later selections. Those not selected within 2 years drop off the roster and must retake the test.
After the contract: HRD Korea issues the E-9 visa confirmation (사증발급인정서); the Migration Agency runs 3–5 days of pre-departure training (labour law, safety, culture, Korean); the visa is obtained from the Korean embassy in Tashkent; the agency organises group flights. On arrival — HRD Korea's mandatory 3-day employment training (취업교육), then the employer collects you. Costs: visa, airfare, insurance — at the candidate's expense; anyone asking for money to "speed things up" at this stage is a fraudster.
E-9 — initially 3 years, extendable by 1 year 10 months at the employer's request, 4 years 10 months in total. Changing workplace only on legal grounds (unpaid wages, abuse, closure, contract expiry) and a limited number of times: 3 in the first 3 years, 2 during the extension; apply within 1 month of the contract ending, find new work within 3 months, in the same sector. The minimum wage applies to every E-9 worker from day one (announced as ₩10,320 per hour for 2026 — check the current rate on minimumwage.go.kr). Those who complete the 4 years 10 months without violations can return as "sincere workers" (성실근로자) without retaking EPS-TOPIK. Passing TOPIK 3–4 and KIIP stages during this time is the main route to the E-7-4 (skilled worker) visa later.