South Korea will begin issuing labor quotas to Kazakh citizens starting in 2028, while applications from Kazakhs for legal employment in the country will open in 2018. Before then, a special Employment Permit System (EPS) center will be opened in Kazakhstan, a testing system will be launched, and pre-departure training for candidates will be organized, according to infohub.kz.
During Kazakh President Qasym-Jomart Toqaev's visit to Korea, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Employment and Labor of the Republic of Korea on sending and receiving workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS).
Official employment will be arranged by the government agencies of both countries under a direct employment contract.
Under the EPS, Kazakh citizens are granted an E-9 visa valid for up to three years, with the possibility of extension up to four years and ten months. Employment is envisaged in five main sectors: manufacturing, construction, agriculture and livestock, fishing, and services.
"The system's total quota for the current year is 80,000 foreign workers," the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population said.
However, the quota for Kazakhstan will be determined by the Korean side after the program is fully launched.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that Kazakh citizens over the age of 40 will not be able to find legal employment in South Korea.