Parents of international students allowed to invite seasonal workers... Marriage immigrants' complaints explode!

The Korean government (Ministry of Justice) announced that it is running a pilot project to invite parents of foreign students studying abroad as ‘seasonal workers.’ However, marriage immigrants came forward to express their dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Justice's announcement.

Accepting international students from universities outside the metropolitan area

The Ministry of Justice announced on February 25 that it would conduct a pilot project for the ‘Seasonal Work Invitation System for Parents of International Students (D-2)’ and the ‘Seasonal Work Agreement (MOU) Cooperation Plan between Local Governments’ from February 26 to December 31.

The Ministry of Justice has decided to expand the scope of invitations for seasonal workers' home country families to include not only the relatives of marriage immigrants but also the parents of international students.

This application applies to parents under the age of 55 of international students who have been attending a university outside of the metropolitan area that has received certification for educational internationalization capabilities for at least one year. If you have no health or criminal record, you can work as a seasonal worker in the area where your child is studying for up to 8 months.

Parents of students with language training (D-4) qualifications and study abroad (D-2) qualifications at universities in the metropolitan area are excluded.

Married immigrants' discontent explodes!

Currently, the Korean government is introducing foreign seasonal workers in two forms, such as inviting families of marriage immigrants and MOUs with local governments, to solve the labor shortage phenomenon during the busy farming season. This time, it is expected to be operated in three ways, including inviting family members from the home country of international students. However, most marriage immigrants living in the metropolitan area are unable to invite their home country family members as seasonal workers even if they try to do so.

If there are no farms in the area where you live, you cannot invite seasonal workers because there is no demand. In this case, you can participate in the seasonal work program of another local government where the farm is located, but most local governments do not allow this.

A marriage immigrant living in Suwon who called Papaya Story said, “In most areas of the metropolitan area, there are a lot of marriage immigrants who are unable to invite their families from their home countries as seasonal workers, but inviting parents of international students is too much.” “It is ignoring the reality of marriage immigrants who are unable to provide work opportunities to their native families who are having difficulty making a living, even if they want to,”.

Regarding this, an official from the Immigration Policy Headquarters said, “We are well aware of the reality that marriage immigrants in areas without farms cannot invite their families from their home countries.” “This project is only a pilot project that will be operated temporarily at the request of the local government. “We will look for ways to improve in the future,” he said.

Mary Eve of Papaya Story