- South Korea officially added Kazakhstan as the eighteenth sending-country under the Employment Permit System on August fourteenth, twenty twenty-six.
- The move targets severe labor shortages in sectors like manufacturing, construction, and hospitality by providing a legal government-to-government pathway.
- Official recruitment of Kazakhstani workers is projected to begin in twenty twenty-eight following the establishment of necessary infrastructure and oversight.
South Korea added Kazakhstan to its E-9 visa sending-country list on Aug. 14, 2026, making it the 18th country approved under the Employment Permit System. It is official.
The designation was finalized at the 49th Foreign Workforce Policy Committee meeting in Seoul. Lim Ki-keun, minister for the Office for Government Policy Coordination, presided over it.
"Kazakhstan's addition will contribute to a swift and efficient response to the deepening labor shortage in industrial sites. We urge swift follow-up measures to ensure a soft landing for Kazakhstani workers at South Korean workplaces."
Lim said the new slot would help employers facing shortages and give the first Kazakh workers a smoother landing. The meeting sat in Seoul.
Kazakhstan becomes the fourth Central Asian country in the program. It joins China, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand, with Myanmar also on the list. The roster continues with Cambodia, Laos, East Timor, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. That list is long.
The new designation gives workers a legal route through a government-to-government process that keeps private intermediaries out. Recruitment is still pending. Officials expect organized hiring to start in 2028, after both governments finish the steps needed to put the system into practice.
Kazakhstan's labor ministry said the move follows intensive diplomatic work since 2023. It said participation in EPS will let citizens apply for official employment in South Korea through a procedure established by the two countries, with legal, safe and organized work abroad.
In January 2026, a South Korean expert delegation visited Kazakhstan and checked worker training systems, medical checkup infrastructure and state oversight capabilities. The delegation confirmed readiness. It pointed to the country's willingness to have its E-9 holders abide by visa rules.
About 15,000 Kazakhstanis were working in South Korea in 2025, and roughly 11,000 of them, or 73%, were believed to be working without legal status. The scale was stark.
The route comes with a fixed stay, a test, and a path upward
South Korea's 2026 E-9 quota is 80,000, down from 130,000 in 2025 and 165,000 in 2024. The cut does not change the basic rules. Those rules are already set.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Eligible sectors | Manufacturing, construction, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, hospitality and cleaning services |
| Initial stay | 3 years |
| Extension | 22 months |
| Total stay | 4 years and 10 months |
| Language step | EPS-TOPIK |
| Wage and protections | South Korean Labor Standards Act, minimum wage ₩10,030/hour in 2025/2026, national health insurance, workplace accident compensation |
| Longer-term option | E-9 workers who serve 4 or more years with the same employer may apply for the E-7-4 (Skilled Worker) visa, which allows long-term residency and the ability to bring family members to Korea |
The two governments are now moving toward an official memorandum of understanding and an EPS Center in Kazakhstan by late 2026 or early 2027. If that timetable holds, the first organized recruitment could begin in 2028.
