The Ministry of Employment Labor and the Ministry of Justice of South Korea said on the 13th local time that the residence period of foreigners with visiting employment (H-2) and non-professional employment (E-9) visas in South Korea will be automatically extended by one year. This also means that the period of time for foreigners concerned can work in South Korea will also be extended by one year.
It is understood that the automatic extension of visas is for foreigners whose residence period expires before December 31, 2021 and holds H-2 visas or E-9 visas. At present, there are 62,239 foreigners in South Korea holding E-9 visas in South Korea, whose residence and employment period will be automatically extended, while 52,357 foreigners in South Korea with H-2 visas need to pass the legal employment examination before they can be extended.
Affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, South Korean small and medium-sized enterprises and agricultural and fishing villages that employ foreign workers are facing the dilemma of insufficient manpower. The Korean government has implemented the amended version of the Alien Employment Act since the 13th.
