Here is the official announcement from MOEL or the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the one-year extension for foreign workers.
The official document can be viewed from the MOEL website. We have summarized the content of the document as follows:
Subject: 1 Year Extension of Stay of Foreign Workers
The government recognizes the difficulties of small and medium enterprises, farming and fishing villages that are suffering from labor shortages amidst the continuing COVID19 epidemic.
Approximately 70,000 to 100,000 workers will be affected by this extension. Only those with E-9 or H-2 visa.
Naiintindihan ng gobyerno ang hirap ng mga maliit na pabrika, sakahan at palaisdaan sa kinakaharap na kakulangan ng empleyado dala ng pandemya o COVID19.
Mahigit na 70,000 hangang 100,000 trabahador ang maaapektuhan ng ekstenyon. Ito ay ang may E-9 o H-2 visa.
Background
Due to the COVID19 pandemic, the number of incoming E-9 workers has been reduced sharply since April 2020.
| Entrants | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 (Jan-March) |
| E-9 | 51,365 | 6,688 | 1,412 |
| H-2 | 63,339 | 6,044 |
The number of foreign workers staying in Korea has decreased significantly.
| Foreign Workers | Dec 2019 | Dec 2020 | Feb 2021 |
| E-9 | 277,000 | 240,000 | 231,000 |
| H-2 | 226,000 | 155,000 | 143,000 |
Foreign workers have difficulty entering and leaving the country due to reduced flights. The labor shortage intensifies at SMEs, farming, and fishing villages.
In December 2020, the Foreign Service Policy Committee decided to extend the period of employment of foreign workers limited to within five years for up to one year.
As the National Assembly passed the revision of the Foreign Workers Employment Act in March, the government decided to extend the stay and employment period of foreign workers by one year.
Dahil sa COVID19, lumiit ang bilang ng mga dayuhang trabahador sa Korea. Nabawasan ang mga bagong pasok na E-9 at H-2 na empleyado. Tingnan ang nasa itaas.
Hirap ang mga dayuhang trabahador na lumabas at pumasok ng bansa dahil sa kakulangan sa biyaheng panghimpapawid. Dahil dito, napagpasiyahang ng gobyerno na pahabain pa ng isang taon ang pananatili ng mga empleyado sa bansa.
Extension of Employment
Foreign workers subject to this one-year extension are those with E-9 and H-2 visas, under the Foreign Workers Employment Act. It is for foreign workers whose employment period (3 years or 4 years and 10 months) expires within April 13 to December 31, 2021, the effective date of the revision. However, foreign workers whose employment period has expired before the effective date of the revised law are not subject to the same extension measures due to the expiration of their stay qualifications.
In the case of general foreign workers (E-9), measures to extend the current stay and employment period by 50 days shall be changed to one year extension.
In the case of visiting ethnic Koreans (H-2), the period of stay and employment activities shall be extended by one year only to workers who have issued a certificate of special employment at the employment center and reported the commencement of work.
The government plans to extend the period of employment for foreign workers without applying for individual stay and extension of the period of employment by foreign workers and employers.
However, the employer shall apply for an extension of the period of labor contract with foreign workers and the extension of the period of employment permit accordingly. The employer may report the commencement of work of foreign workers to the employment center under his/her jurisdiction or report the commencement of employment to the immigration and foreign authorities directly.
Ang makakakuha ng isang taon na ekstensyon ay ang mga may E-9 at H-2 visa na magtatapos sa pagitan ng Abril 13 hangang Disyembre 31, 2021. Ang mga natapos na ang visa bago ang Abril 13 ay hindi maaapektuhan dahil paso na ang visa bago naipasa ang pagpapalit sa batas.
Ang mga may-ari ng kumpanya ay dapat mag-apply ng ekstenyon ng kontrata sa pinakamalapit na employment center o sa immigration.