South Korea to relax work permits for foreign students in manufacturing sector

Rules on visa screening procedures will be relaxed by South Korea for overseas students seeking manufacturing sector jobs in roles such as welding, moulding, heat treatment, plastic working and surface treatment.

Pulse News quotes the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy as saying that foreigners, who are pursuing education in this East Asian country to become engineers and technicians, will see in January their D2 visa (student visas) being converted into E7 visa (special working permit) if they evince interest in working there.

These industries, in particular, have seen a scarcity of skilled workers as Koreans are said to be taking up cushier jobs.

Applications from foreign students for converting their student visas to work permits will be accepted by the ministry until 13 January, and the procedure would be completed by the end of January.  Applicants who pass the evaluation are eligible to apply for converting their visas at the Ministry of Justice’s immigration office.

It has been reported that around 120 foreign students are taking courses under the government-led root industry vocational training program at eight local colleges at Chosun University, Kunjang University College, Keimyung College University, Koje College, Chosun College of Science & Technology, Jeonju Vision College, Inha Technical College and Ajou Motor College.

Eligible for E7 visa are master’s degree holders or people with five years or more of working experience. In November 2016, 20,975 holders of this visa were registered in Korea, comprising 1.8 percent of the total foreign population of 1,168,781 residing in the Republic of Korea.

If you are looking migrate to South Korea to work there, contact Y-Axis, India’s leading immigration consultancy company, to apply professionally for a work visa from one of its several offices located in India’s eight major cities.