Helpful information for E-9 Filipino workers in Korea

While helping an E-9 Filipino holder in Korea, I found many useful information that might be helpful to other Filipinos too.

1. If you need any information related to visa, you can call Korean Immigration Contact Center.

    Press 1345. It has 18 language services. If you want to talk to a Filipino you can press 18.

2. Regarding tigicum (I don’t know how to spell it right) we contacted Samsung Fire &Marine Insurance (02-2119-2400) Then, a Korean answered it. I asked if I can talk to a person who knows how to speak English then she asked me if I am a Filipino. When I said yes, she said she will transfer my call to a Filipino. Then the line was cut. Few minutes later someone called me, a Filipino representative from Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance.

3. For the calculation of tigicum, we went  to Incheon Support Center for Foreign Worker. We met Ms. Catherine Lee who is a counselor for Filipino workers in Korea. You can reach Ms Catherine Lee in this number: 032-431-5757.

Incheon Support Center For Foreign Worker

12F 636-3 Nonhyun- Dong, Namdong-Gu, Incheon Metropolitan City, Korea

Other support centers in Korea are located at:

Seoul- Tel. 1644-0644

Uijeongbu- Tel. 031-8389-111

Cheonan- Tel. 041-411-7000

Daegu- Tel. 053-654-9700

Gimhae – Tel. 055-338-2727

Changwon- Tel. 055-253-5270

The Support Center for Foreign Workers offer several services such as:
     - Counseling service for foreign workers in connection with work-related difficulties.
     - Free interpretation service for workplace change or job seeking.
     - Counseling service for foreign workers concerning difficulties in adapting to a life in Korea.
     - Guidance of any formalities for official report (Immigration Office/Job Center of Moel)
     - Guidance of overdue wage/ severance payment claim
     - Guidance of Return Cost Insurance, Casualty Insurance, National Health Insurance, 
        National Pension, Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance and Employment Insurance.
     - Guidance of schedule and application reception of Employment Training for H-2 visa 
        holders.
     -  The services are free of charge.

For more information you can call their hotline:
    for english: 1577-0071 5 + *
    for filipino: 1577-0071 4 + *

Or you can visit their website: http://www.hugkorea.or.kr/


All the information above is based on my experiences and fliers that I found in the Support Center for Foreign Workers in Incheon.

Policy Guidance on granting professional work status (E-7) to skilled foreign worker in Korea

1. Principle
- To select eligible outstanding talents among foreign workers and allow them to continue working as a skilled professional worker. With the maximum quota by company, regulations on the residence of foreigns become stricter.

* Selected skilled workers will be given special occupation permit, the E-7 visa (the certification of status change or visa issuance will be issued).

2. Application Qualification
- Applicants must lawfully stay in Korea as a worker in manufacturing, construction or agriculture, livestock and fishery under non- professional employment permit (E-9), vessel crew permit (E-10) or work visit permit (H-2) and fulfill all of the following qualifications.

   QUALIFICATIONS
    - Lawfully working in manufacturing, construction or agriculture, livestock and fishery for 4 years or more
       within the past 10 years.
    - Aged less than 35 with academic degree higher than 2 year junior college.
    - Obtaining higher license than Craftsman in the field of work or having made higher annual income than
       the filed average over the recent 1 year.
    - Obtaining higher Korean language skill than level 3 or completing social integration program course.

3. Quota by Industry and Company

	Quota 1	Quota 2	Quota 3	Quota 4	Quota 5
Industy
Manufacturing (No. of workers under employment insurance)	10-49	50-149	150-299	300-499	500 or more
Construction (Average annual construction fee)	Less than 5 billion won	Less than 5-30 billion won	Less than 30- 50 billion won	Less than 50- 70 billion won	70 billion won or more
Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery (No. of regular workers)	30 or less	31- 99	100 or more

4. Application Procedure
- Apply for the status change at the immigration office which has jurisdiction over the location of the company where the applicant is working (Authorized recipients are allowed to apply)

  REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
  - Application Form
  - Passport
  - Alien registration Card
  - Proof of Employment certificate (career included)
  - Employment Contract Document
  - Academic Certificate
  - License or withholding tax receipt
  - Report Card of Korean Proficiency Test or Certificate of Social Integration Program Completion.

5. Starting Date: From Oct 10, 2011
For more information visit: http://www.hikorea.go.kr/  or call immigration contact center (1345)

The information above was given to me by the Incheon Counseling Center for Foreign Workers