“Trapped by their Visas, E-7 workers face involuntary labor with no way out”
At a government immigration office in Korea, a Vietnamese worker identified as Mr. A stood holding a doctor’s note. After three years of repetitive, physically demanding labor at an auto parts factory in Siheung, Gyeonggi, he was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis — a condition that makes continued physical labor medically inadvisable. Yet when he requested permission to transfer to another workplace, the official responded coldly: “Workplace changes are allowed only in cases of business closure or physical assault.”
…[the worker] holds an E-7 visa…
While most migrant laborers in Korea’s industrial zones or rural areas work under the E-9 visa for nonprofessional employment, a growing number are on E-7 visas. Issued for “designated activities,” the E-7 visa encompasses a wide range of skilled and semiskilled occupations…
…E-7 workers are governed by the Ministry of Justice, which prioritizes immigration control over labor rights. As a result, E-7 workers often find themselves in a legal and bureaucratic void, unable to change jobs even in cases of abuse or misrepresentation….
…a Vietnamese national …came to Korea under the E-7-1 category to work in electrical design and supervision. Upon arrival in Wonju, Gangwon, however, he found himself performing unrelated manual labor…