[Employment Contracts and E-7 Visas for Foreign Employees ④] We Hired for “Overseas Sales” — Which E-7 Occupation Should We Apply Under?

In July 2026, Mongolian slaughterhouse workers entered Korea for the first time under the E-7-3 “slaughterhouse worker” category.

This followed the government’s addition of slaughterhouse workers to the E-7-3 framework in response to chronic labor shortages in the meat processing industry.

The case highlights one important feature of the E-7 visa system.

Before hiring a foreign employee, a company first needs to identify what kind of occupation the employee will actually perform.

In this series on employment contracts and E-7 visas for foreign employees, we have been looking at the hiring process in the following order:

Actual Duties → Occupation → Employee → Employer → Contract

In practice, however, companies often get stuck when they reach the occupation stage.

Suppose a Korean company decides to hire a foreign employee.

The job posting says Overseas Sales.

The internal title is Global Business Manager.

The employee will also belong to the overseas sales team.

Does that automatically mean the E-7 application should be filed under the occupation of Overseas Sales Representative?

Not necessarily.

Calling a position “Overseas Sales” inside the company does not automatically make it an “Overseas Sales Representative” occupation under the E-7 framework.

Even within the same overseas sales team, the actual duties may point toward product planning, market research, advertising and public relations, technical sales, or another occupation.

Choosing an E-7 occupation is therefore not simply a matter of changing a company job title to match an immigration occupation.

It is a process of determining which immigration occupation most accurately reflects the core duties the foreign employee will actually perform.

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A Company Job Title and an E-7 Occupation Speak Different Languages

Companies create job titles in ways that make sense for their organizational structure.

• Overseas Sales
• Global Marketing
• Business Development
• Business Development Manager
• Global Sales Manager
• Marketing Manager

The problem is that the same title can mean very different things from one company to another.

At one company, an overseas sales employee may primarily find foreign buyers and sell products.

At another company, someone in the overseas sales team may analyze foreign consumer behavior and plan which products should be sold in a particular market.

At another, the employee may sell industrial equipment while explaining technical specifications to overseas customers.

All three people could carry the title Global Sales Manager.

But their actual work is different.

The E-7 system, on the other hand, reviews the permitted occupation and the activities performed within that occupation.

This distinction therefore matters.

A company job title is the language of organizational management. An E-7 occupation is the language of immigration review.

The bridge between the two is not the title.

It is the actual work performed.

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In 2026, Older Occupation Codes Also Need to Be Rechecked

When searching online for E-7 occupations, companies may still find materials using older occupational classification codes.

The 8th Korean Standard Classification of Occupations took effect on January 1, 2025, and the codes for several occupations discussed in this article were changed accordingly.

• Product Planning Specialist: 2831 (formerly 2731)
• Advertising and Public Relations Specialist: 2833 (formerly 2733)
• Research Specialist: 2834 (formerly 2734)
• Overseas Sales Representative: 2842 (formerly 2742)
• Technical Sales Representative: 2843 (formerly 2743)
• Translator and Interpreter: 2914 (formerly 2814)

For this reason, companies should be cautious about simply reusing occupation codes found in old company documents or older online materials.

At the same time, some publicly available E-7 materials may still contain both old and new codes, or may retain earlier classification codes.

It is therefore useful to distinguish between two separate questions:

What occupation best matches the actual duties?

and

What occupation code applies at the time of filing?

At the actual application stage, the latest immigration guidance and occupation-specific criteria should be checked again.

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Instead of Looking at the Title “Overseas Sales,” Look at the Actual Work

Suppose a Korean company wants to hire an Arabic-speaking foreign employee to sell Korean products in the Middle East.

Inside the company, several different roles might all be described as “overseas sales.”

But the differences become clearer once the title is removed and the actual duties are examined.

1. An Employee Who Finds Overseas Buyers and Closes Transactions

Suppose the employee’s main duties are:

• finding buyers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia
• managing overseas clients
• negotiating prices and transaction terms
• developing new sales channels
• supporting export contracts

In this case, Overseas Sales Representative (2842, formerly 2742) may be one of the first occupations to review.

The important point is not simply that the work is “overseas.”

The key question is whether the core of the job is finding overseas counterparties and concluding sales or import-export transactions.

2. An Employee Who Analyzes Foreign Consumers and Plans Products and Sales Strategies

Another employee at the same company may perform duties such as:

• analyzing local consumer purchasing behavior
• researching competing products
• analyzing market demand
• planning products for the local market
• developing sales strategies

This person may still sit within the overseas sales team.

But the center of the job is less about directly selling products and more about planning what should be sold and how it should be sold.

In that case, Product Planning Specialist (2831, formerly 2731) may be relevant for review.

3. An Employee Who Researches the Market and Produces Analytical Reports

A different employee may primarily be responsible for:

• researching market size by country
• conducting consumer research
• analyzing competitors
• analyzing research results
• preparing market outlook reports

Here, the main function is not direct sales.

It is producing information and analysis that the company can use for business decisions.

In this type of role, the relevance of Research Specialist (2834, formerly 2734) may need to be reviewed.

This is why identifying the center of the actual work matters when determining the occupation.

4. An Employee Responsible for Overseas Advertising and Brand Promotion

Suppose the employee focuses on:

• planning overseas PR strategies
• designing advertising campaigns
• developing local social media content strategies
• managing brand PR
• analyzing advertising effectiveness

In that case, Advertising and Public Relations Specialist (2833, formerly 2733) may be relevant.

The question is whether the employee’s actual role is centered on professionally planning, executing, and evaluating advertising and public relations activities.

5. An Employee Who Sells Products but Uses Technical Knowledge as a Core Skill

Now consider an industrial equipment company.

The employee deals with overseas customers, but the work goes beyond presenting prices and closing contracts.

The employee may also:

• explain equipment specifications
• recommend products based on the customer’s operating environment
• explain installation methods
• respond to technical questions
• explain product use and maintenance

In this case, Technical Sales Representative (2843, formerly 2743) may be relevant.

Ultimately, the word Sales alone does not determine the E-7 occupation.

The company must also examine what professional expertise is actually used in performing the work.

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The Same “Overseas Work” Can Point to Different Occupations

The same broad category of overseas work can therefore involve very different core duties.

• Finding buyers, negotiating transaction terms, managing export contracts → review Overseas Sales Representative
• Consumer analysis, product planning, sales strategy development → review Product Planning Specialist
• Market research, analysis, report preparation → review Research Specialist
• Advertising planning, brand PR, promotional effectiveness analysis → review Advertising and Public Relations Specialist
• Technical explanation, technical proposals, product sales → review Technical Sales Representative

The point is not to memorize every occupation name.

The important point is that different E-7 occupations may need to be reviewed depending on what the employee actually does, even when all of the work is described internally as “overseas business.”

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When Reviewing an E-7 Occupation, Temporarily Remove the Job Title

A company can conduct an initial review by temporarily setting aside the job title and asking four questions.

What does the employee do? → What does the employee produce? → Who does the employee deal with? → What expertise does the employee use?

1. What Does the Employee Do?

Write the duties as verbs rather than broad job labels.

• sells
• negotiates
• researches
• analyzes
• plans
• promotes
• explains technology
• interprets

The goal is to identify the actions the employee repeatedly performs, rather than relying on the title.

2. What Does the Employee Produce?

Next, look at what remains after the work is performed.

• export contracts
• new clients
• market research reports
• product plans
• advertising campaigns
• technical proposals
• translations

The employee’s main outputs often make the nature of the role clearer.

3. Who Does the Employee Deal With?

Consider whether the employee mainly deals with:

• overseas buyers
• consumers
• advertising media
• research subjects or clients
• technical personnel using industrial equipment

Even where the work is broadly “international,” the role may differ significantly depending on the main counterparties.

4. What Expertise Does the Employee Use?

Finally, ask why the company is hiring this particular foreign employee.

Is the key skill:

• foreign-language ability
• trade and export sales experience
• market analysis
• advertising and PR expertise
• technical knowledge of a specific product?

These four questions help reveal the actual job underneath the company title.

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Three Employees With the Same “Overseas Sales Manager” Title

Suppose three employees all have the same title:

Overseas Sales Manager

Their actual duties, however, may be completely different.

Employee A

Develops buyers in the UAE, negotiates prices and transaction terms, and manages export contracts.

• What does the employee do? → develops, negotiates, sells
• What does the employee produce? → new clients and export contracts

The role first points toward an overseas sales function.

Employee B

Analyzes Saudi consumer purchasing patterns and develops products and sales strategies for the local market.

• What does the employee do? → analyzes, plans
• What does the employee produce? → product plans and sales strategies

The role may be more closely related to product planning.

Employee C

Sells automation equipment to overseas customers while explaining equipment specifications and installation requirements.

• What does the employee do? → sells, provides technical explanations
• What does the employee produce? → technical proposals and equipment sales

The role may first point toward technical sales.

All three employees may belong to the same overseas sales department.

But the same department does not necessarily mean the same E-7 occupation.

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What If the Employee Performs Several Different Types of Work?

Real-world positions rarely consist of only one task.

An overseas sales employee may also conduct market research.

A product planning employee may attend buyer meetings.

A technical sales employee may occasionally interpret during meetings.

For that reason, it would be too simplistic to say:

The employee conducts market research, so the occupation must be Research Specialist.

or

The employee sometimes interprets, so the occupation must be Translator and Interpreter.

The occupation should not be determined by isolating one incidental task.

The more important question is:

What type of work forms the center of the overall employment relationship?

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An Administrative Appeal Also Shows Why the Selected Occupation Matters

There is an administrative appeal case that illustrates why occupation selection is more than simply entering a classification code.

The applicant had studied mold design at a Korean university and was staying in Korea under a D-10 status while preparing to work for a manufacturer of automobile wheel molds.

The applicant originally intended to apply for E-7-1 status as a Mechanical Engineering Technician.

However, after receiving incorrect guidance from the immigration authority, the applicant applied under a different occupation, Metal and Materials Engineering Technician, and the change-of-status application was later denied.

The Central Administrative Appeals Commission found that the applicant had lost the opportunity to be properly reviewed under the originally intended occupation because of the incorrect guidance, and it cancelled the denial.

Central Administrative Appeals Commission 2019-22488, June 30, 2020, “Appeal for Cancellation of Denial of Change of Status of Stay”

The key point was that the applicant needed an opportunity to be properly reviewed under the appropriate occupation.

The review did not look only at the fact that the applicant had studied mold design.

It also examined the actual work expected at the company, including mold surface finishing using grinders and work related to plating equipment.

In other words, depending on which occupation is selected, the reviewing authority may look differently at:

what type of professional work is involved, whether the employee will actually perform that work, and whether the employee’s qualifications are connected to that work.

Choosing an occupation is therefore not merely a matter of selecting several digits on an application form.

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Rewriting the Job Duties to Fit an E-7 Occupation Is Not the Solution

Companies may sometimes think:

Our actual duties do not fit the overseas sales occupation very well.
Can we simply rewrite the employment contract so that the duties look more like overseas sales?

That reverses the proper order.

If the employee’s actual role is primarily interpretation and translation, writing

developing new overseas clients and expanding foreign markets

in the contract does not transform the real job into overseas sales.

Likewise, if the employee primarily performs simple production or equipment operation, writing

mechanical systems analysis and technical support

does not automatically make the role that of a professional engineering technician.

The same applies when another E-7 occupation appears easier to qualify for.

The company should not choose the occupation first and then rewrite the duties to fit it.

The company should first define the work it actually needs, and then identify the E-7 occupation that best matches that work.

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The Later the Occupation Is Chosen, the More an Immigration Issue Can Become a Hiring-Schedule Issue

Why can occupation review become more complicated when it is left until the final stage of hiring?

Suppose the company has already agreed to the following:

• Title: Global Sales Manager
• Duties: overseas sales and marketing
• Annual salary: KRW 40 million
• Start date: October 1

The employment contract has already been signed.

Later, while preparing the E-7 application, the company reviews the role in more detail and discovers that the employee will not primarily sell products to foreign clients.

Instead, the core work will be analyzing foreign consumers and planning products.

At that point, the question is no longer simply:

Can we change the occupation code?

If the occupation changes, the employee’s qualifications and the required supporting documents may need to be reviewed again under the criteria for the new occupation.

The company may also need to determine whether the duties written in the existing contract accurately reflect the actual hiring structure.

In some cases, the role agreed with the employee may itself need to be reconsidered.

An incorrect E-7 occupation is not merely an error in one classification code. It can require the company to reopen a hiring structure it thought had already been finalized.

And the later this problem is identified, the more likely it is to affect:

the employee’s start date, project deployment, and the company’s staffing plan.

The later occupation selection is delayed, the more an immigration issue can become a hiring-schedule issue.

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Identifying an Occupation Candidate Does Not Complete the E-7 Review

Suppose the company analyzes the actual work and concludes:

Overseas Sales Representative appears to be the closest occupation.

That means the company has identified an occupation candidate.

It does not mean that E-7 eligibility has been confirmed.

Once the occupation is identified, the company may still need to review:

• the employee’s education, major, and work experience
• salary requirements
• employer eligibility requirements
• requirements related to the protection of Korean employment

This is why the order used throughout this series matters:

Actual Duties → Occupation → Employee → Employer → Contract

Finding the occupation candidate based on the work is the beginning of the E-7 review.

Only after the occupation is identified does the company have a framework for reviewing the employee and employer requirements that follow.

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Four Things a Company Can Write Down Before Searching for an E-7 Occupation

1. Three to Five Core Duties the Foreign Employee Will Repeatedly Perform

Avoid broad phrases such as general overseas business or marketing-related work.

Write down the actual actions the employee will perform.

2. The Main Outputs the Employee Is Expected to Produce

Consider whether the main result will be:

• export contracts
• market research reports
• product plans
• advertising campaigns
• technical proposals

3. The People or Organizations the Employee Will Mainly Deal With

For example:

• buyers
• consumers
• media or advertising channels
• technical personnel

4. The Main Reason the Company Needs This Foreign Employee

Is the company primarily hiring the employee for:

• trade and sales expertise
• market analysis
• advertising and PR expertise
• technical product knowledge?

Writing these points in one sentence each can make the occupation review much clearer.

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These Situations Deserve an Additional Occupation Review

A company should take another look before fixing the E-7 occupation where:

• the job posting says overseas sales, but the actual duties mix sales, market research, marketing, and interpretation
• the CEO describes the role as sales, while the working-level manager describes it as marketing
• two or three E-7 occupations all appear plausible after the duties are reviewed
• the employee has a professional-sounding title, but much of the daily work consists of general office or simple work
• the company selects an E-7 occupation first and then tries to rewrite the duties to match it
• the company plans to reuse an occupation code from a previous foreign hire without checking whether it is still current

These situations do not automatically mean that an E-7 application is impossible.

They indicate that the center of the actual work and the currently applicable criteria should be reviewed again before the occupation is finalized.

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How Far Can a Company Review the Occupation on Its Own?

If the company has clearly defined the employee’s actual duties and those duties are relatively easy to connect with one specific E-7 occupation, the company can conduct an initial review by checking the latest permitted occupations and occupation-specific criteria.

For example, if the employee’s core work is finding overseas buyers, negotiating export transactions, and managing clients, the company may begin by reviewing the overseas sales occupation.

If the core work involves selling products using professional technical knowledge and providing technical support, technical sales may be the more relevant starting point.

However, where the role combines several professional functions, different people within the company describe the core duties differently, or the boundary between two or more E-7 occupations is unclear, it is better not to select an occupation first and then force the documents to match.

The review should proceed in this order:

Actual Duties → Occupation Candidates → Occupation-Specific Criteria

Once an occupation candidate is identified, the employee’s education and experience, salary requirements, and employer requirements can then be reviewed in the next stage.

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If You Remember Only One Thing When Choosing an E-7 Occupation

Do not directly translate the company’s internal job title into an E-7 occupation.

Do not choose “Overseas Sales Representative” simply because the company calls the position “Overseas Sales.” First break down the duties the employee will actually perform, and then identify the occupation that most accurately describes the center of that work.

The first question should therefore not be:

What job title should we give this employee?

It should be:

What will this employee repeatedly do at our company, and what will the employee actually produce?

A company can choose a job title. The actual work, however, does not change simply because the title does.

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References

• Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, July 14, 2026, materials concerning the introduction of slaughterhouse workers under E-7-3
• Statistics Korea, 8th Korean Standard Classification of Occupations
• Ministry of Justice and immigration guidance concerning permitted E-7 occupations and occupation-specific criteria
• Central Administrative Appeals Commission 2019-22488, June 30, 2020, “Appeal for Cancellation of Denial of Change of Status of Stay”
• Immigration Act and related subordinate legislation

※ This article focuses on how to connect actual job duties with an E-7 occupation. Education, major, work experience, occupation-specific salary requirements, employer requirements, and Korean employment protection requirements may need to be reviewed separately depending on the occupation selected and the facts of each case.

If it is unclear which E-7 occupation best matches the job title and actual duties used by your company, or which direction should be reviewed where several occupations appear possible, a free initial review can help determine whether the proposed hiring structure may be workable in your specific case.