Sejong City "Long-term Settlement of Foreign Skilled Workers to Solve Local 'Labor Shortage'"

Sejong City is promoting a plan to resolve the manpower shortage of local companies through the long-term settlement of foreign skilled workers.

On the 1st, Sejong City announced that it will implement the ‘Skilled Worker Visa (E-7-4) Recommendation System’ with this purpose.

Originally, this system was operated by recommendations from central government ministries to address labor shortages in the industrial sector and support regional balanced development.

However, in the second half of this year, the scope of the system's use expanded from central ministries to metropolitan local governments, allowing Sejong to introduce and implement this system.

However, Sejong can recommend 24 people according to the allocated quota assigned through local government recommendations.

The applicants must be registered foreigners who have stayed in Korea for more than four years under the non-professional employment (E-9), seafarer employment (E-10), or visit employment (H-2) visas, have worked for more than one year at a company located in Sejong City, and have received a recommendation from the company where they have been employed for more than one year.

When a foreign skilled worker recommended by a company receives a recommendation from the Mayor of Sejong City, they can receive an additional 30 points in the qualification score for converting to a skilled worker visa.

Visa conversion can be applied for at the Ministry of Justice by those who score 200 points or more, including bonus points, out of a total of 300 points.

Foreign skilled workers who obtain the skilled worker visa can invite their accompanying family members to Korea and settle long-term in the country.

In particular, Sejong City explained that if they stay in Korea for more than five years after obtaining the skilled worker visa and meet certain income requirements, they can acquire resident status (F-2) or permanent residency (F-5).

Sejong City is accepting company recommendations for the issuance of skilled worker visa conversions through the City Hall Corporate Support Division until December 20.

Namgung Ho, Director of the Economic and Industrial Bureau of Sejong City, said, “We will ensure that the implementation of the skilled worker recommendation system helps resolve the manpower shortage of local companies and provides an opportunity for foreign skilled workers to settle long-term in the region.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.