Last updated: 3 November 2026 (Asia/Karachi). Based on Korea Ministry of Employment and Labor, EPS / HRD Korea, OEC Pakistan and BEOE. Confirm quota and test dates on the official sites before you apply.
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The korea e-9 visa is South Korea’s non-professional employment visa issued under the Employment Permit System (EPS). For 2025, MOEL fixed the national E-9 ceiling at 130,000. In Pakistan, the route runs through OEC: pass EPS-TOPIK, enter the job roster, then wait for a Korean employer to select you. This guide refreshes the official 2025-26 facts and removes unverified claims.
In this guide
Quick answer on the korea e-9 visa
- 2025 national quota: 130,000 E-9 workers (98,000 sector quota + 32,000 flexible), per MOEL’s 20 December 2024 decision.
- Pakistan channel: OEC (Overseas Employment Corporation), Islamabad, under the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and HRD.
- Test: EPS-TOPIK; results valid 2 years; passing does not guarantee a job.
- 2026 registration: OEC opened an EPS-TOPIK 2026 form with date-of-birth limits 31 March 1986 to 30 March 2008.
- Not confirmed here: an official 2026 MOEL total quota and an official Pakistan-only seat number.
Korea E-9 visa quota for 2025 by sector
MOEL’s Foreign Workforce Policy Committee met on 20 December 2024 and confirmed the “2025 foreign workforce (E-9) introduction and operation plan”. MOEL notes that the quota is a ceiling so employers can hire when demand appears. It also records that the 2024 ceiling had been 165,000 and that actual E-9 permits in 2024 were expected to land around 80,000 as other visa routes grew.
| Category (2025 MOEL plan) | Workers | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing (incl. mining) | 72,000 | Largest block |
| Shipbuilding | 2,500 | Sector quota |
| Construction | 2,000 | Sector quota |
| Agriculture and livestock (incl. forestry) | 10,000 | Sector quota |
| Fishery | 8,500 | Sector quota |
| Services (incl. restaurants) | 3,000 | Sector quota |
| Flexible allocation | 32,000 | Assigned to sectors that exhaust quota |
| Total | 130,000 | Ceiling, not a hiring promise |
Older pages that list “17 partner countries” or name new partner states should be checked against current EPS notices. This refresh keeps only the MOEL figures shown above for the korea e-9 visa quota.
EPS-TOPIK for the korea e-9 visa in Pakistan
OEC describes EPS-TOPIK as a computer-based Korean test with reading and listening sections (20 questions each, 100 points total, about 25 minutes per section). Pre-registration eligibility on OEC includes a machine-readable passport, no colour blindness or colour weakness, no illegal-stay or deportation record in Korea, under 5 years’ total stay in Korea, no serious criminal record or ECL entry in Pakistan, and age limits (OEC states 18 to 39 at pre-registration for the test stage; 18 to 40 at job application).
For the 2026 cycle, OEC’s EPS-TOPIK registration form showed accepted dates of birth from 31 March 1986 to 30 March 2008. HRD Korea’s EPS-TOPIK schedule site also listed a Pakistan (Islamabad) point-system round with an application period 31 March to 8 April 2026. Exam and announcement dates can be “to be confirmed” on that site; rely on the live schedule page and OEC notices rather than social-media screenshots.
OEC says selection uses a point system with a skills test after the language round for many sectors. Candidates scoring over 50 out of 100 on EPS-TOPIK can pass in order of score up to the designated number. Read the current round notice for sector-specific point tables.
OEC five-step process for the korea e-9 visa
| Step (OEC) | What happens | Watch-out |
|---|---|---|
| 1. EPS-TOPIK | Korean language test; pass list announced by HRD Korea / OEC | Result valid 2 years |
| 2. Job application / roster | Submit form and documents to OEC within EPS-TOPIK validity | Roster valid 1 year from approval |
| 3. Standard labour contract | Korean employer selects from EPS pool | No contract is guaranteed |
| 4. Preliminary training | Pre-departure training | Attend as scheduled |
| 5. Entry in Korea / employment | E-9 entry and placement | Follow OEC and Korean employer instructions |
OEC is explicit: registering in the EPS pool does not guarantee employment, because Korean employers choose workers from the pool. Keep your passport valid at least one year at job-application stage, as OEC lists.
If you are comparing Gulf options, our guide to Dubai visa rejection mistakes covers a very different, sponsor-based system.
Pakistani applicants often hear informal “seat” rumours for the korea e-9 visa. Until MOEL, EPS, OEC or BEOE publish a Pakistan number, treat those rumours as unverified. Focus on the steps you control: EPS-TOPIK score, clean documents, and a complete OEC job application inside the validity windows.
EPS partners change over time, and sector demand inside Korea shifts with the flexible allocation. That is another reason this page quotes MOEL’s published ceiling instead of predicting your personal chance of a korea e-9 visa. Prepare for EPS-TOPIK early: OEC points candidates to HRD Korea materials, and language practice is the one step fully under your control.
After you pass, keep copies of every OEC receipt and medical form. When a labour contract arrives, read the workplace, wage and period lines carefully before you sign. A signed contract is the point where the abstract korea e-9 visa path becomes a specific job, and it is also the point where protector and training steps begin under Pakistani overseas-employment rules.
What is not confirmed about the korea e-9 visa
- A Pakistan-only E-9 seat number for 2025 or 2026 on MOEL, EPS, OEC or BEOE pages used here. Media reports of country quotas are not repeated as fact.
- A 2026 national E-9 total; check MOEL’s next foreign-workforce plan release.
- Any salary figure; wages follow Korean labour law and the individual standard labour contract.
- “Guaranteed visa” offers from private agents. OEC is the official sending agency for EPS in Pakistan. BEOE’s site (beoe.gov.pk) is the regulator page for overseas employment promoters and protector processes; verify any agent there.
FAQs
What was the Korea E-9 quota for 2025?
Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor set the 2025 E-9 quota at 130,000: 98,000 by industry plus 32,000 flexible allocation.
How did MOEL split the 2025 industry quota?
Manufacturing 72,000; shipbuilding 2,500; construction 2,000; agriculture and livestock 10,000; fishery 8,500; services 3,000; flexible 32,000.
Is a 2026 Korea E-9 total quota confirmed here?
No 2026 MOEL total was used in this refresh. Check the latest MOEL press release and EPS notices before relying on any 2026 number.
Does passing EPS-TOPIK guarantee a korea e-9 visa job?
No. OEC states passing only lets you enter the EPS pool via job application; Korean employers choose workers and employment is not guaranteed.
How long is an EPS-TOPIK result valid?
OEC states 2 years from announcement of the test result.
Who handles EPS-TOPIK registration in Pakistan?
OEC (Overseas Employment Corporation) runs registration and the job-application stage in Pakistan, with schedules published by HRD Korea / EPS.
What age band did the OEC 2026 EPS-TOPIK form show?
The 2026 OEC registration form showed date-of-birth limits from 31 March 1986 to 30 March 2008.
Sources
- MOEL Korea: 2025 E-9 quota 130,000 press release (with PDF annex).
- OEC Pakistan: EPS process and EPS-TOPIK 2026 registration.
- EPS / HRD Korea: eps.go.kr and EPS-TOPIK schedule site.
- BEOE: Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment.
Not legal or immigration advice. Confirm current rounds on OEC and EPS before paying any fee.
