If you've seen content about Korea, you've probably come across the words "EPS," "E-9 visa," and "eps.go.kr." This system is the main official channel of labor migration between Uzbekistan and Korea, and it's gotten a lot of attention in recent years, especially after a special quota program was introduced in 2025 to accept Uzbek citizens into the Hyundai shipbuilding plant in Ulsan. EPS stands for "Employment Permit System," the official system that regulates foreign workers in Korea, through which the Korean government decides every year which countries, and how many workers, it will accept. Uzbekistan has been part of this system since 2007 and is currently one of the most active participating countries. Getting an E-9 visa generally involves several stages: first, passing the Korean language exam called EPS-TOPIK, which is held once or twice a year in Tashkent and some regions of Uzbekistan, with results announced on the eps.go.kr website; second, after passing the exam, waiting to be selected by an employer in Korea, a process that can sometimes take anywhere from several months to a year; third, once an employer selects you, an official contract is signed through the Ministry of Employment, and documents are prepared for the E-9 visa. The Ulsan Hyundai program worked a bit differently: a special training center was opened in Fergana, where a 3-month professional training and Korean language course was held, after which visas were issued for direct work at giant companies like Hyundai Heavy Industries or Hyundai Motor, a mechanism launched as a pilot, and this mechanism was applied for the first time specifically for Uzbekistan among the 17 worker-sending countries in the world, which is no small number. Monthly salary is often a question: a foreigner working in Korea on an E-9 visa is legally paid based on Korea's minimum wage, which for 2025 is around 9,860 won per hour, meaning 8 hours a day and roughly 2–2.5 million won gross per month. After subtracting average living costs, this makes it possible to send a significant amount of money to Uzbekistan every year, especially since rent in industrial cities like Ulsan is relatively cheaper than in Seoul.
Now let's move on to things most people don't know but should. The biggest drawback of the EPS system is time. It can take a year, or even more, from passing the exam to being selected by an employer and getting the visa. Life doesn't stop during this period, so many Uzbeks shouldn't forget that this is the time to learn Korean even more deeply, develop professional skills, or look into other opportunities as well. Second: the EPS-TOPIK exam doesn't just test Korean language ability, it also includes questions about Korean labor law, safety rules, and the social system, so studying grammar alone isn't enough, you need to work with the specific exam prep materials, which can be downloaded for free from the eps.go.kr website. Third, and very important: workers who come through EPS face strict restrictions on changing employers. If a problem arises with your employer, simply leaving for another job isn't legal and puts your status at risk. That's why it's important to gather as much information as possible about an employer before signing a contract, and this isn't too hard to find out in areas of Korea where many Uzbeks live. The E-9 visa is issued for one year and can be extended within Korea, with a total initial term of 3 years, then extendable one more year at a time up to 4 years and 10 months, after which you must either return to your home country or change your status. If you know Korean well, have professional skills, and your employer agrees, there's also a possibility of transitioning to the E-7 visa (a specialist visa), which opens new doors for longer-term residence. Both the Korean and Uzbek governments are actively developing this direction; 2025 has been declared the "Year of Mutual Exchange," which is leading to both new quotas and new training centers opening.
📩 Telegram: https://t.me/odilxanivich
If you have any questions or comments, Contact →