By: Staff Writer
January 09, Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has issued a stern warning about fraudulent schemes targeting Sri Lankans seeking employment in South Korea.
The Bureau clarified that no jobs are currently available under the E-8 visa category, emphasizing the need to avoid falling victim to scams promising short-term employment, such as agricultural and fishing jobs, in South Korea.
Short-term employment under the E-8 visa requires formal agreements between the governments of Sri Lanka and South Korea, none of which have been signed.
Despite this, individuals continue to exploit unsuspecting job seekers with false promises of employment under this category.
SLBFE Chairman Kosala Wickramasinghe announced measures to repatriate Sri Lankans residing illegally in South Korea after their visas have expired.
He stated that information about these individuals would be shared with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further legal action.
Wickramasinghe also urged workers to refrain from overstaying their visas, as such behavior could impact Sri Lanka’s future employment quota in South Korea.
His remarks came during a ceremony at the SLBFE where airline tickets were handed over to 96 Sri Lankans departing for employment in South Korea’s manufacturing sector.
This marks the first group of workers traveling to South Korea in 2025 under legal arrangements.
According to Wickramasinghe, approximately 8,000 Sri Lankans are expected to secure jobs in South Korea in 2025, as the country focuses on sending highly skilled workers to compete with labor from 16 other nations.
In 2024, a total of 5,562 Sri Lankans were employed in South Korea under the Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries.
The majority (4,699 workers) were employed in the manufacturing sector, while others worked in fisheries (846), construction (16), and agriculture (1). Among them were 115 women.
The SLBFE highlighted the importance of legal migration, emphasizing that since 2004, Sri Lankans have been working in South Korea under the EPS-E9 visa category.
Additionally, private sector placements for specialized jobs, such as welding under the E7-4 visa category, have also been facilitated.
However, Wickramasinghe reiterated that no recruitment programs under the E-8 visa are implemented, as agreements with South Korean provinces for seasonal jobs have not been finalized.
Remittances from Sri Lankan expatriates, amounting to over USD 6 billion annually, play a vital role in the country’s economy.
The government expressed its gratitude to these workers while reaffirming its commitment to promoting safe and legal employment opportunities abroad.
