05/05/2026
South Korea nagpapababa ng visa requirements para sa foreign workers
Ipinahayag ng Ministry of Justice ng South Korea na luluwagan nito ang ilang immigration at residency requirements bilang tugon sa patuloy na pagliit ng workforce ng bansa. Layunin din nitong palawakin ang impluwensiya ng Korean culture sa ibang bansa.
Isa sa pangunahing pagbabago ay ang pagpapagaan ng experience at language requirements para sa D-4 visa na para sa mga culinary trainees. Partikular itong para sa mga estudyanteng naka-enroll sa โSura Academy,โ isang programang pinangangasiwaan ng Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs na nagtuturo ng authentic Korean cuisine o hansik. Sa hakbang na ito, inaasahang mas mapapadali para sa mga aspiring chefs mula sa ibang bansa ang pag-aaral at pagpapalaganap ng Korean food sa buong mundo.
Ang mga repormang ito ay inaprubahan sa ikatlong pulong ng Visa and Residency Policy Council, na pinamumunuan ni Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho. Sa 20 panukalang isinumite ng ibaโt ibang ahensya ng gobyerno, walo ang naaprubahanโisang indikasyon ng mas target na approach sa pag-akit ng foreign talent, kabilang ang mga digital nomads at skilled workers.
Tutugunan din ng mga pagbabago ang kakulangan sa manggagawa sa manufacturing sector. Maglulunsad ang gobyerno ng pilot program para sa E-7-3 skilled worker visa, kung saan isasama ang mold-making bilang kwalipikadong trabaho, na may taunang quota na 150 workers.
Samantala, sa Jeju Island, pahahabain ang pananatili ng mga dayuhang pumapasok nang walang visa mula 30 araw hanggang 90 araw, basta may rekomendasyon mula sa gobernador. Layunin nitong makahikayat ng mas maraming remote workers at pasiglahin ang lokal na ekonomiya.
Pinadali rin ang proseso para sa mga highly skilled professionals at students. Halimbawa, tinanggal ang one-year experience requirement para sa E-7-1 professional visa para sa mga foreign graduates ng science at engineering na may specialized training. Pinalawak din ang D-4 visa eligibility para sa international schools sa Jeju, at nagkaroon ng bagong gap-year pathway para sa mga high school graduates mula sa OECD countries na gustong mag-aral sa Korea.
Ayon sa Ministry of Justice, patuloy nilang pakikinggan ang pangangailangan ng industriya at populasyon upang mas maayos na maiangkop ang immigration policies ng bansa.
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South Korea lowers visa hurdles for foreign workers to stave off shrinking workforce
The Ministry of Justice said Monday that it will ease several immigration and residency requirements, part of a concerted effort to shore up a shrinking workforce and project the nationโs cultural influence further abroad.
A centerpiece of the plan is the relaxation of experience and language requirements for the D-4 Korean culinary trainee visa. This adjustment is specifically tailored for students enrolled in "Sura Academy" programs, an initiative overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to train international students in authentic Korean cuisine called "hansik." By lowering the barriers for aspiring chefs, officials hope to accelerate the globalization of Korean cuisine, transforming the countryโs gastronomic tradition into a more accessible export.
The measures, approved during the third session of the Visa and Residency Policy Council, signal a strategic shift by the government to attract specific categories of foreign talent, ranging from remote-working "digital nomads" to specialized industrial artisans.
The council, chaired by Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho, reviewed a slate of 20 proposals submitted by six central ministries and two regional governments. Of those, eight were approved, reflecting a calibrated attempt to address the countryโs deepening demographic and industrial shifts.
The reforms also target specific gaps in the nationโs economy, particularly the manufacturing sector. To combat a persistent labor shortage in the foundry industry, the ministry will launch a pilot program for the E-7-3 skilled worker visa. The program will include mold-making as a newly eligible occupation, with an initial annual quota of 150 workers.
Further south, Jeju Island is set to become a laboratory for the "workcation" trend. Foreigners entering the island visa-free will now be eligible to extend their stay from 30 to 90 days, provided they receive a recommendation from the Jeju governor. The move is intended to stimulate the local economy by catering to the growing global class of remote workers.
The ministry further streamlined paths for high-skilled professionals and students, waiving a one-year experience requirement for the E-7-1 professional visa for foreign science and engineering graduates who complete specialized training programs abroad. Additionally, it expanded D-4 eligibility for international schools in the Jeju English Education City and created a new gap-year pathway for high school graduates from OECD countries to explore university enrollment in Korea.
"We will listen closely to voices from the field, so that immigration and visa policy can respond to changes in industrial and demographic structure," the justice minister said.
Source: The Korea Times
