The Gyeonggi Province Council is pushing for the introduction of 'foreign caregivers.' The plan is to train foreign caregivers in Korean and assign them to hospitals and nursing homes. This will be carried out differently from the 'Filipino domestic helpers' introduced by Seoul, which faced issues like poor treatment and unauthorized departure.
◇ Korea to face a shortage of up to 1.55 million caregivers by 2042… Gyeonggi Province pushes for 'foreign caregivers'
Korea is set to enter a super-aged society (20% of the population aged 65 or older) by 2025. With the increasing number of elderly people and decreasing young population, finding caregivers has long been like 'plucking a star from the sky.' According to a report released by the Bank of Korea in March this year, there was already a shortage of 190,000 caregivers and workers in care services by 2022, and this is estimated to rise to a shortage of 610,000 to 1.55 million by 2042.
Kim Dong-gyu, a member of the Gyeonggi Province Council, proposed a 'local government ordinance on the operation and support of foreign caregiver systems' at the end of last month. The aim is for Gyeonggi Province to collaborate with other countries and institutions to recruit and place foreign caregivers on-site. The goal is to pass the ordinance in the provincial assembly by February or March next year. Kim noted, “It is now time for the state and local governments to take responsibility and solve the caregiving issue.”
◇ Plans to eliminate lodging and transportation expenses… Seoul's Filipino domestic helpers serve as a lesson
The Gyeonggi Province Council plans to apply the minimum wage to foreign caregivers. If the minimum wage for next year (10,030 won per hour) is applied, they will receive 2.09 million won per month, including weekly leave allowance, if they work eight hours a day, five days a week. This is because if the minimum wage is not applied, foreign caregivers might leave for other higher-paying jobs, potentially becoming illegal residents.
Previously, the issue of poor treatment was raised when two Filipino domestic helpers introduced by Seoul left without notice. They were expected to work 30-40 hours a week and earn between 1.54 million and 2.06 million won monthly. However, in reality, they reported earning only 1 million to 1.5 million won after deducting lodging and commuting expenses. The two unauthorized Filipino domestic helpers were caught in Busan and forcibly deported last October.
The Gyeonggi Province Council believes that housing foreign caregivers in facilities such as nursing homes could solve these issues. It is noted that nursing homes already have dining and lodging facilities, meaning additional expenses are minimal. An official from the council said, “It is important to create living conditions for foreign caregivers.”
◇ Considering recruiting caregivers from various countries beyond Chinese descendants
The Gyeonggi Province Council plans to recruit foreign caregivers from as many countries as possible, including Southeast Asia. Currently, foreigners can only work as caregivers if they hold the Overseas Korean (F-4) or Working Visit (H-2) visas, both of which are issued only to those with overseas Korean status. Therefore, most domestic caregivers are of Chinese descent.
The Gyeonggi Province Council is considering bringing in foreign caregivers with short-term training visas (D-4-6) that allow a stay of two years, before transitioning them to specific activity visas (E-7) after education and training. Foreign caregivers can obtain permanent residency if they meet certain conditions, such as staying for five years on an E-7 visa.
In addition, introducing foreign caregivers through the employment permit system (E-9), similar to the Filipino domestic helpers, is also being discussed. Currently, the system restricts foreign employment to industries such as manufacturing, construction, agriculture, livestock, and some service industries. Although Filipino domestic helpers do not fall under these categories, Seoul received permission from the Ministry of Employment and Labor's Foreign Workforce Policy Committee to allow them to work temporarily in the country. After the pilot project ends, the Ministry will decide whether to include domestic sectors as eligible employment categories for the employment permit system. Similarly, Gyeonggi Province would need to go through this process to introduce foreign caregivers via the employment permit system.
◇ Japan and Australia open doors to foreign caregivers
Other countries are also actively introducing foreign caregivers. Since 2008, Japan has allowed foreigners from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam to work in caregiving facilities and obtain caregiving welfare certificates through Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA). Foreign students who receive education in Japan for more than two years can also acquire related certificates by taking exams.
Australia grants permanent residency to foreigners caring for the elderly under the 'Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement.' Foreigners can apply for permanent residency within two years of obtaining a temporary visa, with the English proficiency requirement lowered to facilitate easier acquisition of residency. Taiwan allows foreign caregivers to work for a maximum of 14 years.