Kazakhstan has been newly designated as a country for the Employment Permit System (EPS) for foreign workers. Additionally, regulations will be relaxed to allow construction companies to transfer foreign workers between different job sites under the same employer.
On August 14, the government held the 49th Foreign Workforce Policy Committee meeting, where it finalized the 'Kazakhstan Employment Permit System Designation' and 'Improvement Plan for Employment Permits in the Construction Industry.' The EPS is a system that allows the introduction of foreign workers holding non-professional employment (E-9) visas based on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between governments, without private sector involvement.
Currently, there are 17 countries designated as EPS sending countries, including the Philippines, Mongolia, Vietnam, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Nepal, and Myanmar. With the addition of Kazakhstan, the total number of sending countries has increased to 18. Among the EPS sending countries, Kazakhstan joins Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan as the fourth Central Asian nation.
The government designated Kazakhstan as a new sending country after conducting written surveys and on-site inspections to diversify sending countries and effectively respond to domestic labor demands. Kazakhstan has a government agency responsible for foreign worker dispatch, which is expected to ensure the public nature and transparency of the dispatch process.
Furthermore, it was found that there are no significant issues in establishing key infrastructure such as pre-employment training facilities, EPS centers, and health examination facilities. The government also confirmed Kazakhstan's willingness to cooperate in improving systems to prevent illegal stay.
Foreign workers from Kazakhstan are expected to begin arriving in South Korea in 2028. Before the introduction of these workers, the government plans to sign an MOU for the EPS and establish local EPS centers.
The operation of the EPS for foreign workers in the construction industry will also change. Currently, foreign worker employment permits in construction are granted on a project basis, allowing worker transfers only in limited cases, such as project completion or suspension.
Going forward, if the new job site meets the employment permit requirements, the government will allow the transfer of foreign workers between construction sites operated by the same employer. This easing of transfer regulations will apply to applications submitted during the fourth EPS application period from September 14 to 29 this year.
However, employment restrictions due to violations of labor laws will extend not only to the site where the violation occurred but also to other sites operated by the same employer. The employer-level employment restrictions are expected to be implemented in March next year after a six-month preparation period.
Im Gi-geun, head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, stated, 'The designation of Kazakhstan as a new sending country and the improvement of the EPS operation in the construction industry are expected to significantly contribute to responding quickly and efficiently to the deepening labor shortages in industrial sites.' He also urged that follow-up measures, such as the establishment of local EPS centers in Kazakhstan and the easing of worker transfers between construction sites, be effectively communicated to the field.
He added, 'It is also very important to ensure that foreign workers can settle stably in industrial sites through comprehensive support for their stay and thorough industrial accident prevention activities.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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