Gov't to raise quota for skilled worker visas to 30,000 from 2,000

Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon, left, talks to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ahead of a national financial strategy meeting presided over by President Yoon Suk Yeol at the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae, Wednesday. Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

The government will drastically increase the quota for skilled worker visas to 30,000 this year from 2,000 last year, aiming to tackle labor shortages faced by industries, Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said Wednesday.

Han made the remarks during a national financial strategy meeting presided over by President Yoon Suk Yeol. The meeting was held to discuss follow-up measures after Yoon instructed the government earlier this week to streamline the management of foreign workers to meet the changing needs of businesses, according to presidential spokesman Lee Do-woon.

“Labor shortage is a major issue that industries need to resolve in the short term,” Han was quoted as saying by the spokesman. “We are pushing to increase the number of foreign workers as instructed by the president.”

Han also said the government will push to amend relevant laws to allow an extension of up to three months to the five-month stay currently permitted for foreign farmworkers.

Yoon instructed the government on Monday to draw up measures to streamline the management of foreign laborers, which is scattered across different ministries.

Currently, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries as well as local governments are involved in overseeing foreign workers.

As part of measures to increase the number of skilled foreign workers, the justice ministry announced a plan on Sunday to ease requirements for E-7-4 visas that guarantee long-term employment and raise the quota of the permits.

While this year's quota for E-7-4 visas was set at 5,000, the ministry said it will expedite the issuances of the permits to July instead of the end of the year. It will push to expand the number of visa recipients within the latter half of the year.

That would increase the number of E-7-4 visa recipients by three to four times from a year earlier.