The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has announced that it is taking steps to activate seasonal job opportunities in South Korea under the E-8 visa category.
According to Koshala Wickramasinghe, Chairman of the SLBFE, a proposal for this initiative has been submitted for Cabinet approval. Once approval is received, Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) will be signed with South Korea, after which Lankan workers will be dispatched for these jobs.
Chairman Wickramasinghe further stated:
“These recruitments will be carried out only by the government; the private sector is not authorized for this. We expect to send the first batch under the E-8 visa category to South Korea by the end of this month. We are ready to sign MoUs with four provinces in South Korea for this purpose. The maximum number of workers that can be sent annually for seasonal jobs in South Korea will be facilitated.”
“South Korea announces E-8 Visa job opportunities”
Wickramasinghe also addressed false rumours circulating on social media, both in Sri Lanka and South Korea, claiming that these job opportunities have been abandoned or will not be implemented.
“We responsibly state that this has not been stopped. We only temporarily suspended it to align it with a proper legal framework. Once we obtain Cabinet approval and sign the MoU, we will legalize it,” he clarified.
The Chairman further urged the public not to trust false information circulating on various social media platforms regarding South Korean jobs. He emphasized that recruitment for these jobs in South Korea will be conducted transparently and strictly based on qualifications, and advised people not to pay money to any intermediaries. All recruitment details and information will be officially released in due course.
