South Korea sets conditions for illegal workers to re-enter

Great opportunity for illegal workers

The Department of Overseas Labor Management (Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs) has just announced a grace period policy for foreigners residing illegally in Korea who voluntarily return home in 2023. The period is from September 11 to December 31, applicable to all citizens of all countries.

Thus, foreigners residing illegally who voluntarily return to their country within the above-mentioned period will be exempted from fines and have their entry restrictions suspended.

This means that after returning to their home country, they can still apply for a visa to enter Korea. Their visa application will still be accepted by the Korean Consulate in their home country and they can be granted a visa to enter Korea after going through the Korean side's review and examination of their documents.

However, Korea also excludes the following cases: Illegal residents since September 11, 2023, illegal immigrants, people using fake passports or travel documents, criminals, people unable to execute exit orders...

The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs directly selects workers, carefully checks to ensure that workers with skills and foreign languages ​​are selected to meet the requirements of partners (Photo: Nguyen Son).

To complete the voluntary exit declaration procedure, workers need to prepare the following documents: Passport; exit plane ticket; voluntary exit declaration form.

Workers can go directly to the Immigration Office at their place of residence to make a declaration or, declare online on the Hikorea website (http://hikorea.go.kr).

Then, on the day of departure, you need to go to the Immigration Office at the airport to receive the fine exemption and postponement of entry restrictions before leaving the country.

The Department of Overseas Labor Management notes that the time to make a voluntary exit declaration must be made no later than 3 days before departure (excluding holidays); workers should contact the hotline number 1345 of the Korean Ministry of Justice for more detailed information.

Illegal workers fined over 500 million VND

In parallel with the implementation of this policy, the Korean Ministry of Justice announced that this agency will continue to coordinate with relevant ministries and branches to focus on and strengthen the third round of arresting illegal foreigners across Korea from October this year.

Illegal foreign residents caught during the implementation of the above policy will be fined up to 30 million won (more than 500 million VND) and have their entry ban to Korea increased.

According to the representative of the Department of Overseas Labor Management, the policy of Korea this time aims to encourage workers to voluntarily return home, contributing significantly to reducing the rate of illegal workers residing in this country, opening up more opportunities for workers to go to Korea to work.

Domestically, every year, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs announces a temporary suspension of recruitment of workers to work in Korea in some localities with a high rate of runaway workers, from 70 people or more, and a rate of workers whose contracts have expired and do not return home on time of 27% or more.

If caught, runaway workers will be fined up to more than 500 million VND (Photo: Nguyen Son).

In 2023, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs agreed with the Korean side to continue to temporarily suspend the recruitment of workers to work in Korea under the Employment Permit Program for Foreign Workers (EPS Program) for 8 districts, towns and cities of 4 provinces including: Nghi Xuan district, Cam Xuyen district (Ha Tinh); Chi Linh city (Hai Duong); Cua Lo town, Nghi Loc district, Hung Nguyen district (Nghe An); Dong Son district, Hoang Hoa district (Thanh Hoa), because the rate of workers whose contracts have expired and do not return home has not been reduced.

The Ministry also requested localities to continue to implement propaganda measures and mobilize workers to return home on time as per their contracts and workers residing illegally to return home, to create opportunities for many workers to go to this market to work.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, to date, there are more than 46,000 Vietnamese workers violating contracts and residing illegally abroad. In terms of percentage, South Korea is the market with the highest number of "illegal" workers with more than 12,000 people, accounting for 26% (currently, there are more than 46,000 Vietnamese workers working in this market).

The Taiwanese market has 24,000/256,576 people, accounting for 9%. In Japan, there are also nearly 4,800 escaped technical interns.

Source link: https://dantri.com.vn/lao-dong-viec-lam/han-quoc-neu-dieu-kien-de-lao-dong-bat-hop-phap-duoc-tai-nhap-canh-20230914114750486.htm