Anchor: The government plans to create a step-by-step visa transition system in a bid to encourage foreigners to settle in South Korea, as the nation grapples with record low births and a rapidly aging society. To this end, the government will change the content of education provided to international students and increase the number of applicants for start-up visas. Our Bae Joo-yon has more. 

Report: The government on Wednesday announced plans to set up a so-called “visa ladder” system during a meeting of economy-related ministers. 

The envisioned system will provide visa support for foreigners from the time they enter the country, through to their employment or establishment of a startup business, and eventually to their settlement.

Under this system, an international student entering South Korea on a D-2 visa could later transition to a job-seeking visa, a skilled worker visa, or eventually, an F-2-R regional residence visa.

The move aims to address South Korea’s need for workers as the country will likely become a super-aged society in 2025, with the lowest birth rate among OECD members.

In order to encourage more international students to find jobs and ultimately settle in the country, the government plans to shift the focus of university education from theory-based courses to programs that emphasize associate degrees and industry-academia collaboration, making it easier for them to secure employment and settle in the country.

The government will also assess whether foreign workers on E-9 non-professional visas are interested in switching to a skilled worker visa or settling in South Korea and provide tailored services for those who express such intentions.

For foreign workers who wish to upgrade their E-9 visa to E-7-4 skilled visa, the government will ease visa issuance requirements on the condition that they commit to long-term employment in rural areas in a bid to address labor shortages in businesses located in such areas. 

The government will also increase the number of startup visas and expand entrepreneurship education for foreigners to include non-Seoul metro areas. 

Bae Joo-yon, KBS World Radio News.