Comprehensive review of family accompaniment status under E-7 visas

Ministry of Justice: 'No foreigner has sponsored 10 family members'

A screenshot of an online community post claiming that a Muslim worker brought 10 family members to Korea on a work visa. [FM Korea capture/Yonhap]
A screenshot of an online community post claiming that a Muslim worker brought 10 family members to Korea on a work visa. [FM Korea capture/Yonhap]

The Ministry of Justice conducted a comprehensive investigation after claims spread across online communities including FM Korea that a Muslim holding an E-7 (specific activities) visa had brought 10 family members to Korea, and found the claim to be false.

The ministry said Friday that a full review of the family accompaniment status of E-7 visa holders found that only 0.2 percent had sponsored five or more family members to stay in Korea, and that no one had sponsored 10.

Among E-7 visa holders, 20.6 percent had sponsored family members, with an average of 1.6 family members per person.

The controversy began after posts appeared on online communities including FM Korea and DC Inside claiming that a Bangladeshi national had obtained an E-7 visa and brought 10 family members to Korea — a spouse and nine children. The posts also alleged that the family members had been registered as dependents under the national health insurance system.

The posts drew a wave of comments calling for restrictions on the family sponsorship system for Muslim foreign workers, fueling a wider public debate.

The E-7 visa, commonly known as a "work visa," is issued to foreign nationals working in specialized fields designated by the Ministry of Justice and requires applicants to meet strict criteria, including relevant academic qualifications and work experience.

The ministry said that under the accompanying dependent (F-3) status, foreign nationals on long-term legal stays — including those on E-7 visas — may only sponsor a legally married spouse and minor children. "Parents, siblings and other relatives are not eligible for sponsorship," it said.

The ministry added that foreign nationals holding work visas such as the E-7 must meet income requirements based on household size in order to bring family members living abroad to Korea. "The more family members, the higher the income requirement," it said.

Under this year's standards, a visa holder seeking to bring a spouse and two children must demonstrate an annual income of at least 39 million won ($29,200).

Meanwhile, the ministry said the alien registration card, national health insurance dependent records, and social media posts attached to the online post "are images from different sources, and it has not been confirmed that they relate to the same person."


betterj@heraldcorp.com