Korea opens final 2026 round of foreign worker permits

Korea has opened its final round of foreign worker visa applications for 2026, offering 6,699 new permits to address labor shortages across five major sectors. The five-day application window, starting November 23, covers nonprofessional employment visas, known as E-9, with 4,510 slots allocated to manufacturing, 954 for agriculture and livestock, 897 for fisheries, 198 for construction, and 140 for services.

The government has also introduced incentives for employers who complete human rights and labor law training. Should demand exceed sector caps, officials will utilize a reserve pool of 10,000 additional permits. This move highlights Korea's increasing dependence on overseas labor to sustain its export-driven industries amid an aging population and low birthrates.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.