Authorities in South Korea are planning to issue a record number of visas to skilled workers from other countries this year.
The new changes have been confirmed by Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon, while he announced a fifteen-fold increase in the annual quota to a total of 30,000 to help companies overcome labor shortages, VisaGuide.World reports.
The annual quota for the E-7-4 visa program has gradually increased from 300 in 2017, to a total of 2,000 last year, since the introduction of this program. The E7 visa permits companies in South Korea to hire professionals from other countries.
According to the minister, this year’s increase will be the most significant one up to this point and should help address the shortage of skilled workers in the manufacturing as well as agricultural sectors. At first, South Korea planned to cap this year’s quota at 5,000.
The presidential office quoted Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon as telling a government meeting that it should end “talk of foreigners being unable to come due to insufficient quota,” according to a Reuters report.
In response to requests from industry, the criteria for visa applications will also be relaxed, the ministry said.
In January this year authorities in South Korea unfolded plans to bring nearly 110,000 migrant workers to the country who would be engaged in specific fields such as farms as well as factories, however, some businesses said that an even larger number would be needed in order to keep them running.
South Korea’s fertility rate is decreasing, thus leading the country to bring a larger number of workers in the country in order to deal with such a situation.
According to a report by Nikkei Asia, the country had nearly 49,000 long-staying nationals from other countries in 1990, however, the number of residents from other territories, taking also into account those staying for a period of fewer than 90 days surged to 2.52 million by the end of 2019, thus making more than 4.9 percent of the population of nearly 51 million.
The same source noted that nearly 40 percent of foreigners are nationals of China.
Authorities in South Korea have been continuously attempting to increase the number of international workers.
A Seigakuin University professor who wrote a book on South Korea’s immigration policy, Ikumi Haruki, told Nikkei Asia that the country offers free Korean language courses at 319 locations across South Korea.