By Lee Kyoung Mi and Sohn JiAe

The Ministry of Justice announced on Feb. 28 that a revision bill to the Immigration Control Act has been passed at the National Assembly.

Under the revised immigration law, non-citizens who want to get permanent residency will have to have their alien registration cards renewed every 10 years after acquisition. Those who fail to get their IDs reviewed in time will be fined a maximum of KRW 2 million.

Already registered non-citizen residents, too, will have to get their cards renewed every decade. Those whose cards were issued more than 10 years ago will have to renew them within two years after the revision goes into effect.

The new rules impose a prompt travel ban on non-citizens suspected of committing crimes subject to the death penalty, a life sentence or to more than three years of imprisonment.

Police can request the Immigration Office to enforce a travel ban on such suspects, even without a formal approval from justice ministry.

The ministry hopes that if the revision goes into effect, it will monitor and manage non-citizen residents more systematically, as they can get their hands with more ease on updates concerning the residents’ death or new addresses. At the same time, the new law would prevent non-citizens of interest from fleeing the country and deter them from committing crimes, the ministry hoped.

The revised immigration act will go into effect six months after proclamation.

km137426@korea.kr