Foreigners entering the country after April 3 must wait six months to register as a health insurance dependent.

Foreign dependents must wait 6 months

Foreigners and overseas Koreans entering the country after April 3 will have to wait six months to be registered as health insurance dependents.

According to the National Health Insurance Corporation, the amendment to the National Health Insurance Act, which adds a condition that foreigners must reside in the country for more than six months to become a dependent, will go into effect on April 3. This amendment was designed to prevent foreign relatives from coming into the country for a short period of time to receive surgery or treatment and then leaving the country only when necessary.

However, if the dependent is a minor child under the age of 19 or a spouse, study abroad (D-2), general training elementary, middle, and high school students (D-4-3), non-professional employment (E-9), permanent residence (F-5), or marriage immigration If you have a clear reason for residence, such as (F-6), you can immediately receive health insurance benefits.

Increase free leprosy screening for foreigners

The Korean government has decided to strengthen leprosy screening for foreigners residing in the country. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced that it plans to expand the number of free leprosy screenings for foreigners from 10 to 12 starting in the second quarter of this year to ensure early detection and early treatment of new foreign leprosy patients.

The Korea Hansen Welfare Association plans to form a team dedicated to screening foreigners for leprosy and conduct an in-depth analysis of areas with high concentrations of foreign workers from countries where leprosy is prevalent, and to promote free leprosy screening and counseling projects.

The prevalence of new cases of leprosy in Korea is 0.001 per 10,000 people, and the World Health Organization (WHO) level of leprosy eradication has been maintained since 1982. However, in recent years, the proportion of new cases of foreign patients from Southeast Asia has been increasing.

Among the 38 new patients with leprosy in Korea between 2014 and 2023, 21 (55.3%) were Koreans and 17 (44.7%) were foreigners. The World Health Organization has designated 23 countries, including India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Myanmar, as priority countries for leprosy.

Application for employment permit for foreign workers

The Ministry of Employment and Labor is accepting applications for employment permits for foreign workers on the first Employment Permit System (E-9) visa in 2024 until February 8.

The government expanded the number of E-9 visa foreign workers permitted to hire this year to 165,000, the largest ever. A total of 35,000 employment permits will be issued in the first quarter of this year. By industry, there are 23,232 people in the manufacturing industry, 4,209 people in the agricultural and livestock industry, 2,595 people in the fishing industry, 1,632 people in the construction industry, 1,500 people in the shipbuilding industry, and 1,297 people in the service industry. Employers wishing to hire E-9 foreign workers can visit the local employment and labor office in charge during the application period or apply on the website. The results will be announced on February 28th.

The hotel and condominium industries (trial introduction in Seoul, Busan, Gangwon, and Jeju) and the restaurant industry (Korean food, pilot introduction in 100 major regions), which were allowed to hire for the first time this year, can begin accepting applications for employment permits for the second round starting around late April.

Mary Eve of Papaya Story