By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter

Starting next year, new measures aimed at attracting foreign talent and addressing problems arising from an increasing expatriate population will be introduced.

The Ministry of Justice plans to give foreign professionals advantages in gaining permanent residency or F-5 visas, if their potential and present contributions are deemed essential.

Foreign nationals with an F-5 visa can stay here for as long as they wish to unless they are convicted of criminal activities. They can also vote in provincial assembly elections.

In addition, those who purchase real estate in designated areas such as the special economic zone of Jeju Island or live in those areas for five years or more will be eligible for the privileged visa status.

As for immigrant workers, those with E-9 visas or H-2 designation for ethnic Koreans from China and Russia will be able to work for a maximum of five straight years.

Currently, immigrant employees with those visas are required to leave the country after three years if they want to extend their residence. H-2 holders have no choices but to leave Korea after their visa expires, but the new regulation will enable them to renew their visas without this inconvenience.

They can also enjoy the benefits of the revised regulations when they have to change workplaces. Currently, they are not allowed to change workplaces more than three times. However, if they are now forced to leave their job site, it will not be counted as a job change.

At the same time, a database for foreigners and their skills or HuNet Korea will open in February, offering Korean employers the chance to "shop" for workers in accordance with their needs by skipping time-consuming red tape.

Along with the eased visa rules, the government will tightly supervise "illegal" foreign residents and control the number of issued visas.

The government also plans to allow dual nationality on condition that those taking advantage of this pledge to give up their rights as foreigners such as tax exemptions and admission to international schools.

Males must finish the mandatory duty of military service for dual citizenship.

The bill allowing dual nationality has been approved by the Cabinet this month and is likely to be in effect in the first half of next year.

However, the government will restrict privileges to children whose parents made trips overseas to give birth so that their children could gain foreign citizenship.

kswho@koreatimes.co.kr