Korea opens final 2026 round of foreign worker permits
Summary
The Ministry of Employment and Labor will accept applications for 6,699 E-9 foreign worker permits from Nov. 23 through Nov. 27 in Korea. The final 2026 allocation covers five sectors, with manufacturing receiving the largest share. Employers completing in-person human rights and labor law training will receive bonus points under the permit scoring system. Successful applicants will be notified Dec. 11, with permits issued in two phases later that month.
Key Facts
- The sector allocations are 4,510 permits for manufacturing, 954 for agriculture and livestock, 897 for fisheries, 198 for construction and 140 for services.
- Officials may draw on a flexible reserve pool of 10,000 additional permits if employer demand exceeds sector caps.
- The Human Resources Development Service of Korea administers the in-person human rights and basic labor law courses.
- Employers must show they spent at least seven days trying to hire domestic workers before applying in person at regional labor offices or online through Work24.
- Permits will be issued Dec. 14-16 for manufacturing and mining employers, and Dec. 17-21 for employers in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, forestry, construction and services.
A promotional infographic for the final 2026 round of hiring applications for foreign workers through E-9 visas / Courtesy of Ministry of Employment and Labor
Korea will accept its final round of applications this year for foreign worker visas starting Nov. 23, offering 6,699 new permits to help businesses ease persistent labor shortages while introducing incentives for employers who complete human rights and labor law training, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said Thursday.
The five-day application window, running through Nov. 27, covers nonprofessional employment visas, known as E-9, across five major sectors. Manufacturing accounts for the lion’s share of the quota with 4,510 slots, followed by agriculture and livestock with 954, fisheries with 897, construction with 198 and services with 140. Should employer demand exceed sector caps, officials said they will tap into a flexible reserve pool of 10,000 additional permits.
The announcement underscores Korea’s growing reliance on overseas labor to sustain its export-driven factories, farms and fishing fleets amid one of the world’s fastest-aging populations and lowest birthrates. Over the past several years, the government has steadily expanded its Employment Permit System, which brings in workers primarily from Southeast and South Asia to fill blue-collar jobs that domestic workers increasingly avoid.
At the same time, Seoul has faced mounting pressure from labor advocates and international observers to improve working conditions and housing standards for migrant workers, following high-profile incidents of workplace accidents and wage theft.
Beginning with this fifth and final allocation round of 2026, the ministry will award bonus points under its permit scoring system to workplaces that complete in-person training on human rights protection and basic labor laws. The courses are administered by the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, a state-run agency overseeing workforce management.
To qualify for the program, prospective employers must first demonstrate that they spent at least seven days attempting to hire domestic workers. Businesses can then submit applications in person at regional labor offices or online through the government’s Work24 portal.
Successful applicants will be notified on Dec. 11. Permit issuance will follow in two phases: from Dec. 14-16 for manufacturing and mining employers, and from Dec. 17-21 for those in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, forestry, construction and services.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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