By: Staff Writer
July 03, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lankan job seekers hoping to work in South Korea have faced months of uncertainty and frustration due to delays in implementing the much-anticipated Korean E-8 seasonal employment visa program.
Thousands of potential migrant workers, particularly from rural areas, have pinned their hopes on this opportunity as local job prospects remain limited. However, the lack of a finalized agreement and slow administrative processes have heightened anxiety among applicants, raising concerns over missed opportunities and growing financial burdens.
With rising living costs and unemployment levels in Sri Lanka, foreign employment has become an essential income source — making the delay in launching the E-8 visa system a critical issue for many families.
In a significant development, the Sri Lankan Cabinet has now approved a pilot project aimed at deploying local workers to the Republic of Korea under the E-8 visa category for seasonal employment.
The move follows a proposal submitted by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, who sought authorization to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yongvol, a local government institution in Korea.
This MoU will enable Sri Lankans to secure short-term employment — typically between 5 to 8 months — in Korea’s agriculture and fisheries sectors. These jobs are based in the rural provinces of Yongvol, offering workers not only an opportunity to earn but also to contribute significantly to Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange earnings during a time of economic recovery.
Negotiations leading to this agreement were conducted through diplomatic channels with various Korean local authorities, culminating in a consensus with Yongvol. The Attorney General’s Department has granted clearance for the MoU, clearing the final legal hurdle for implementation.
The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) will handle the recruitment process and facilitate worker deployment. Its Chairman, Kosala Wickramasinghe, confirmed that once the agreement is formalized, efforts will be accelerated to recruit eligible candidates and commence placements without further delay.
Wickramasinghe also issued a strong warning to job seekers not to fall prey to fraudulent agents or intermediaries, emphasizing that recruitment under this pilot program will be managed solely by the Sri Lankan government. “No one should hand over money or their passports to any outside party,” he stressed.
The long-awaited pilot program is expected to restore hope among many Sri Lankan job seekers while strengthening labor ties between Sri Lanka and Korea in the coming months.
