South Korea plans to expand work visas for foreign students

South Korean officials say the country is looking to adopt plans to make it easier for its roughly 163,000 international students to live and work here, including expanding the types of visas and employment options available to them.

Job fair for students in Korea. Photo: KOREA HERALD

According to the Korea Herald, the Office for Government Policy Coordination and the Prime Minister 's Secretariat said that in an effort to attract jobs in key industries in Korea, the government plans to allow foreign students who graduate in Korea to apply for E-9 non-professional worker visas.

Currently, foreign graduates here are only eligible for a limited number of visas, such as the E-7, which is issued for a limited number of specialized jobs.

The stay for D-10 visa holders who are looking for work after completing their university studies here will be extended to a maximum of 3 years. Currently, D-10 visa holders are allowed to stay for only the first 6 months and can extend the period up to 2 years.

For students seeking jobs in the shipbuilding sector, which is facing a chronic labor shortage, the government aims to help them get hired immediately after completing certain training programs.

Overall, the Korean government plans to expand access to visas for students who want to stay and work longer. Parents of foreign students who are eligible to apply for an E-8 seasonal worker visa can also come to live with their children.

To increase efficiency in handling the task of serving foreign students and workers here, the Korean government will establish a specialized committee in July. Currently, there are about 560,000 foreigners with work visas in Korea and the Korean Prime Minister said that this number is expected to increase further.

South Korea is facing a demographic crisis, with its overall population aging and fewer people having children. South Korea's fertility rate is expected to be just 0.72 in 2023, making it the only member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with a rate below 1.

KHANH MINH

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/han-quoc-co-ke-hoach-mo-rong-thi-thuc-viec-lam-cho-sinh-vien-nuoc-ngoai-post745665.html