The Ministry of Employment and Labor is revising the point system that forms the basis for the allocation of foreign workers under the employment permit system. This is in response to criticism that the existing evaluation system is disadvantaging workplaces that need more foreign workers due to severe labor shortages. The employment permit system allows businesses that cannot hire Korean workers for non-specialized jobs to employ foreign workers (E-9, H-2 visas). The Ministry of Employment and Labor operates a point system when allocating new foreign workers under the employment permit system.
On the 1st, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that it has revamped the evaluation indicators, changing the original four basic categories and five bonus categories to six bonus categories and five penalty categories. The revised plan will take effect from this month's mid-month application for the fourth allocation of new foreign workers this year.
The revised bonus categories include ▲providing dormitories (20 points) ▲business sites that install and operate excellent dormitories (up to 10 points for a maximum of 2 years) ▲the ratio of long-term employees compared to the number of foreign employees (15 points) ▲business sites located in areas with population decline (5 points) ▲business sites that have completed training for business owners (5 points) ▲business sites recognized for risk assessment (5 points), among others.
Previously, the four basic categories had a maximum score of 100 points, with lower actual employment ratios of foreign workers compared to allowable foreign employment numbers scoring fewer points (30 points total), higher reemployment expiration ratios among foreign employees scoring fewer points (30 points total), fewer new employment permit applicants scoring lower points (20 points total), and higher ratios of hired Koreans during the domestic recruitment effort scoring lower points (20 points total).
There were many criticisms that the existing indicators did not adequately reflect the reality that businesses had no choice but to rely on foreign workers. The rationale for employing foreigners is precisely due to the difficulty in finding Koreans, yet businesses that employed fewer foreign workers than the allocated numbers or had more new applications received lower scores.
When business sites apply for foreign workers, the approval is determined by the point system. Employment permits are issued starting from the business sites with the highest scores. Tied business sites are allocated foreign workers in the following order: business sites with a higher ratio of long-term foreign workers, those with no penalties in penalty categories, those that received bonuses for providing accommodation, and finally by computerized lottery.
A spokesperson from the Ministry of Employment and Labor noted, "We simplified the evaluation system by keeping only the necessary evaluation indicators while removing those that were less needed, considering the actual on-site demand that had not been adequately reflected until now."
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