Objective, Major Features and Re-entry Employment of EPS

The objective of the Employment Permit System: To introduce, implement, and effectively manage foreign workers, and to respond to the labor ...

The objective of the Employment Permit System:

To introduce, implement, and effectively manage foreign workers, and to respond to the labor shortage of South Korea.

The Labor Standard Law for foreign workers in South Korea provides for an E-9 visa and an Alien Registration Card. This card serves as a foreign worker’s identification card during their stay in South Korea.

The major feature of the Employment Permit System is to give protection and privilege for foreign workers to work as factory workers in South Korea. According to the law, the hiring of Korean employers is within 7 to 14 days. The adaptation level of industrial foreign workers is based on the written application. In choosing foreign workers, applicants should give their accurate information of identification, and nature of previous or current work.

Protection of foreign workers in South Korea include:

• Prohibition of discrimination for every worker regardless of their nationality.
• Standard law of labor and implementation of law for employers to treat their foreign workers right.
• Implementation of proper labor standard to prevent illegal stay of foreign workers.

Contract for foreign workers is for at least three years. However, after three years of stay, the government of South Korea gives permission to extend their contracts for one year and 10 months, for a total of 4 years and 10 months in a contract total stay of foreign workers as factory workers in South Korea (Labor Contract Article 18-2).

Re-entry Employment:

Foreign workers who wish to return to South Korea as factory workers via the re-employment system can renew their contracts but should first pass the qualifications for a re-entry permit. They do not need to re-take the Korean Language exam and the employment training center.

For a re-employment permit, foreign workers should have a clean record of stay (no criminal offense committed during the stay in South Korea), followed the rules and regulations of the Korean Government, hardworking and consistent, and are considered honest employees. This new system set by the Korean Government specifies these traits that a foreign worker must possess in order to be permitted to re-enter as a factory worker in South Korea. 

Foreign workers who are not going back to South Korea should surrender their Alien Registration Card to the Immigration and have to return to their home country for three months after their first contract. 

Godspeed!

“The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” - Confucius

CREDIT:

외국인근로자 취업교육