Education superintendents to propose new work visa for foreign grads of Korean vocational schools

Education authorities nationwide plan to urge the government to introduce a new work visa system for foreign nationals who graduate from Korean vocational high schools, amid a decline in the number of students and workers in regions outside of Seoul.

Speaking to The Korea Times on Wednesday, an official at the National Council of Governors of Education, an organization that represents the superintendents of 17 education offices in Korea, said the issue will be at the top of the agenda for their meeting set for Thursday in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province.

“The policy goal would be to revitalize struggling vocational schools in many regions and train the students as future workers eventually,” the official said. “Many superintendents share concerns about the shrinking student population.”

The E-7 work visa is currently granted only to foreigners with an associate degree or higher. This does not help local governments in attracting more foreign students to vocational schools or sustaining labor-intensive industries like manufacturing, which are in need of more workers in many regions, the official said.

After discussing the details of the policy idea, the organization plans to formally propose it to the Ministry of Justice in the near future.

“Nothing has been determined yet. There should be more talks over issues such as the age for visa candidates with ministry officials,” the official said.

It is unclear how much the introduction of such a visa system would help regional offices grappling with shortages of students and workers. This points to the desperation of policymakers in many areas, the official added.

The idea was first proposed by the Office of Education in North Gyeongsang Province, where 131 foreign students from six countries attend nine of its high schools, including Gyeongju Business High School, a vocational school that specializes in tourism management programs.

Amid the country’s persistently low birthrate, 735 elementary, middle and high schools closed in the province between 1982 and 2022, the second-highest among provinces after South Jeolla Province, which saw 839 schools close.

Faced with similar situations, education officials in other areas such as South Jeolla Province and South Chungcheong Province have also been reviewing policy ideas to attract more foreign students to their vocational schools.

Under the current system, however, foreign nationals in Korea cannot obtain a work visa upon high school graduation. To work here, they need to enter college and earn a diploma or return to their home countries to apply for an E-9 visa through the Employment Permit System, to work in industries such as construction, manufacturing, farming and fishing.

Even for those who have higher education degrees, obtaining the E-7 visa is difficult. According to a survey released Wednesday by the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business, 66.7 percent of foreign students here said they found it difficult to obtain the visa.