[News Today] Foreign employment visa reform

[LEAD]

Most foreign workers in manufacturing in Korea hold a single type of non-professional employment visa.

Now, the government plans to introduce a tiered system based on skill level, offering greater benefits to more experienced workers.

[REPORT]

Chamil is an automotive welder with sixteen years of experience who moved to Korea from Sri Lanka in 2011.

He entered Korea on an E-9 non-professional employment visa but now has a professional work visa.

He became more skilled in welding and Korean language and even received an employer recommendation.

Chamil / Migrant Worker from Sri Lanka

I like living with my wife and child. I'm happy when I go home.

But it is rare for a migrant worker like Chamil to be able to change his visa to a professional one and bring his family to Korea.

Most foreigners work on an E-9 visa and the chances of changing visa status is low not just for a novice with only a year of experience but even for a skilled worker with a nine-year career. Employers complain that it's hard to motivate workers to grow and improve.

Kang Yeong-jun / SME Owner

Those who stayed longer are more skilled, work better and understand the job faster. There's only E-9 visa, so workers are seen as a group.

The government decided to fix the visa program when the current visa system was criticized for dulling the competitiveness of manufacturers.

KBS found out that the Ministry of Employment and Labor is planning to divide the E-9 visa into two or three levels.

The level goes up when a worker earns a certificate or improves his skill sets. The higher the level, the greater the benefits, such as having advantages when bringing one's family over to Korea or moving to another job.

The Ministry plans to discuss the matter with the Ministry of Justice and other relevent agencies and then announce the revised plan as early as in May.