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| Foreigners wait for the issuance of documents at the Sejongno branch of the Seoul Immigration Office in Seoul in this Feb. 24, 2020 file photo. Yonhap |
The government plans to significantly extend the stay permit to about 10 years for migrant workers who entered Korea on a non-professional visa and worked long enough to meet the requirements for occupational proficiency, the labor ministry said Thursday.
Under the current Employment Permit System for migrant workers, the maximum stay permit for those who enter the country on the E-9 Non-Professional visa stands at four years and 10 months.
Those who wish to work further in Korea are required to leave the country and reapply for a work permit, making it difficult for Korean employers to retain their high-skilled foreign employees.
Under the extension plans, migrant workers on the E-9 visa who have worked for 30 months or longer at the same workplace in Korea or 24 months or longer for their initial Korean employers will be recognized as long-term employees and allowed to stay for work for up to 10 years, the ministry said.
The time requirements apply to those employed in the manufacturing sector and those in other industries, such as agriculture or construction. Workers are required to stay with the same employer for at least 24 months or with their initial employer for at least 16 months to be eligible.
Workers will be additionally required to undergo the government's social integration education and pass a certain level on a Korean proficiency test, according to ministry officials.
The maximum stay permit could be further extended after consultations with the justice ministry, they added.
The ministry also plans to broaden the scope of the E-9 visa to allow migrant workers to work in the parcel delivery sector to help relieve labor shortages. (Yonhap)
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