New VISA rule for foreigners in South Korea

Jeevan Khatri

Seoul : The Law Ministry of South Korea has introduced a new rule of VISA extension for foreign citizens in the country. According to the new rule, VISA extension will now apply only on valid passports i.e. the passport which has not expired and has a valid date.

A notice on the new rule has been issued while a communication about the new rule was also sent to the Nepali Embassy here. The communication says that a passport must have a valid date for VISA extension.

Based on the communications from the Law Ministry, the Nepali Embassy has also issued a notice to all Nepalis living in South Korea. The new law will be of special concern for the Nepali workers currently in Korea under the Employment Permit System. The workers who arrive here under the EPS have a three-year contract under the E9 VISA and can extend it by 1 year 10 months after the end of the contract. But as per the new rule, if the passport has expired the VISA extension cannot take place.

The new rule comes into effect from coming July 1. Anyone who is not able to renew their passport for various reasons can have VISA extension only till coming December.

It has come to be known that the passport of 16,130 foreign citizens currently in South Korea has expired in 2020. The Law Ministry believes that the new rule would help proper management of foreign citizens in the country. Following renewal of their passport, the foreigners are required to contact the nearest Immigration Office within 15 days to avoid any penalty.