Simplification of extension of period of stay for skilled foreign workers... Increased additional points for length of service

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Choi Won-jeong = The Ministry of Justice announced on the 22nd that it will simplify the procedure for extending the period of stay for long-term employment visas (skilled workers, E-7-4) for foreigners who have been engaged in simple labor for a long period of time.

The skilled labor system is a method that allows stable stay for foreign workers who have worked in Korea for a certain period of time and meet the Korean language proficiency and income requirements. As of last month, 52,684 people were staying in the country as skilled workers.

The Ministry of Justice plans to reduce the more than 12 types of documents submitted when applying for extension of stay to 7 types or less.

The 'Employment Visa Guide', which allows companies and foreign workers to check in advance the necessary documents and procedures when applying for a civil complaint, will also be piloted on 'Hi Korea', a website operated by the Ministry of Justice.

In addition, if a foreign worker works at the same company for a long time, additional points will be given based on the length of service, and restrictions on the period of stay required for conversion to a residence visa (F-2) will also be relaxed.

Previously, the Ministry of Justice's Immigration and Foreigner Policy Headquarters, together with the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business and the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, conducted a survey targeting 470 businesses and 316 foreign workers to collect opinions in June.

According to the Ministry of Justice, companies most wanted to secure long-term employment and employment stability for foreign workers. Both companies and foreign workers cited complex immigration administrative procedures and Korean language requirements as the biggest difficulties when using the skilled labor system.

Acting Minister of Justice Lee Jin-soo said, "This system improvement is to support foreign workers who have already been faithfully working in our industrial fields for a long time so that they can work stably and settle down in the local community. Going forward, we will continue to listen to the voices of the field and push for system improvement so that both companies and workers can feel it."