19 February 2024, Seoul - The Philippine Embassy in Seoul and the Migrant Workers Office (MWO)-OWWA held an information session entitled "E9 to E7 Visa: Employment Documentation for Successful E7-4 Passers" on 19 February 2024 via Zoom.

The activity, which was attended by close to one hundred participants, aimed to guide the new Filipino E7 holders on how to register their contracts, acquire OEC, and enroll as OWWA members. It is a follow-up seminar to the Embassy's series of information sessions on "Palit-Visa" and "Guide to Registering in Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP)" which were held in the last two years to support the plans and preparation of EPS workers to a higher visa type.

In her opening message, Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega congratulated the participants for having successfully transitioned from E9 or non-professional employment visa to E7-4, or special occupation visa. "Your transition to a higher-level visa is a testament to your skills, performance, diligence and loyalty to your company. I encourage you to continue building your language and technical skills, and keeping abreast with information from reliable sources in order to optimize your stay and employment here", the Ambassador said. She affirmed the Embassy's commitment in providing timely and relevant information to the Filipino community in South Korea, and thanked the leadership of the Seosan Migrant Catholic Community (SMCC) and the Ilocanos in South Korea (ISK) for their active partnership with the Embassy on this project.

Labor Attache Ma. Celeste M. Valderrama explained the legal basis for contract verification, highlighting that this is especially important for those who transitioned to E7 visa as they are now considered as directly hired OFWs and no longer covered by government-to-government hiring system. Administrative Staff Jaeomi Leoj Valencia presented in detail the documentary requirement and procedures for contract verification and OEC. On the other hand, Welfare Officer Cornelia DG Chanco discussed the importance of being active OWWA members and the various welfare programs and services for them and their families. An interactive question and answer portion followed after the presentation.

In his closing message, SMCC President Randy Tolentino encouraged the participants to faithfully comply with both the Philippine and Korea regulations regarding the registration of their contracts, especially as they obtain their new visa status in Korea. He thanked the Philippine Embassy, on behalf of the participants, for conducting innovative and very relevant seminars for the benefit of the Filipino community in South Korea.

For further queries on contract verification for E7-4 visa holders, the public may contact labor@philembassy-seoul.com or (82-2) 3785-3634/5. END