The South Korean government has announced plans to accept 207,000 nonprofessional foreign workers in 2025, the first reduction in four years, as employers struggle to use up the existing quota, according to officials Sunday.
This total allocation includes workers under the E-9 employment permit visa, the E-8 seasonal work visa and the E-10 seafarer employment visa.
Under the decision reached by a government committee, the number of workers under the E-9 employment permit visa for next year was set at 130,000, marking a decrease of 35,000 from 2024.
This reduction reflected projected labor demands, external economic factors and survey results from local employers and government ministries, according to the Office for Government Policy Coordination.
The E-9 visa, introduced in 2004, is for foreign workers employed in nonprofessional occupations, including manufacturing, construction, agriculture, fisheries, livestock, restaurants serving Korean food, hotels and resorts, forestry and mining, where specific qualifications or experience are not required. This system allows small businesses facing difficulties in hiring local workers to legally employ foreign workers.
However, 2025 marks a notable shift in policy, as the government has decided to reduce the E-9 visa quota for the first time in four years.
After years of unprecedented increases ― from 52,000 in 2021 to a record-breaking 165,000 in 2024 ― the quota for next year will be lowered by 21 percent, or 35,000, to 130,000, as the private sector struggles to hire foreign workers amid an economic downturn and shifting labor market conditions.
"The decision also considered changes in market conditions and the growing utilization of foreign workers under other visa categories," an official from the Ministry of Employment and Labor said.
Also, the number of workers under the E-8 seasonal work visa was increased by 7,000 to 75,000. This visa allows the hiring of foreigners in the field of agriculture or fisheries for up to eight months. The increase reflects the pressing need for labor in rural areas, particularly in agriculture and fishing communities hit hard by aging populations and rapid depopulation, according to the officials.
For the E-10 seafarer employment visa, there is no fixed total limit, as it operates under a total quota system. Officials expect the number to be around 2,100 next year, similar to previous years. This visa typically covers employment for foreign seafarers working on South Korean vessel operating passenger transportation business or freight transportation business.
The government plans to finalize the visa-specific quotas and establish an operational plan for next year after consulting with relevant agencies.
jenn@heraldcorp.com
