The Ministry of Justice will improve the skilled worker visa (E-7-4) system to help foreign laborers who have been in Korea for an extended period secure stable employment and settle in their communities. iClickArt (This image is protected by copyright law and unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.)

By Aisylu Akhmetzianova

The Ministry of Justice on Oct. 22 announced reform of the skilled worker visa (E-7-4) system to help foreign workers who have been in Korea for a long time secure stable jobs and settle in their regions.

The plan is based on a June survey of 470 businesses and 316 such laborers conducted by the ministry's Korea Immigration Service, Korea Federation of SMEs and Human Resources Development Service of Korea.

The ministry said it decided to improve the E-7-4 program based on the results of the study.

First is a pilot run of the Employment Visa Guide on HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr), the government portal for foreign residents and visa services. The guide allows companies and international workers to check what documents they need and the procedures for filing civil complaints.

The number of documents required for an extension will be cut from 12 or more to seven or fewer.

More benefits will also go to foreign workers who have been in Korea for a long time. Those who stay with one employer for an extended period can earn additional points based on length of service, while residency requirements for changing to the long-term F-2 visa, which is considered a path toward permanent residency, will be eased.

The ministry said, "This system reform is not about allowing more foreign workers in, but about helping those who have long contributed to Korea's industrial sites continue working under stable conditions and settle in their communities."

aisylu@korea.kr