Korea may stop issuing visas to Uzbeks

Korea may stop issuing visas to Uzbeks

About 9 percent of Uzbek immigrants working in South Korea have been given an illegal status. If this figure reaches 10 percent, the Korean Ministry of Justice may stop issuing visas to Uzbek citizens. This was announced by the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Korea, Alisher Abdusalomov, at a meeting in Tashkent.
According to the ambassador, there are about 100 thousand Uzbeks living in Korea, and cases of illegal work have increased sharply. This situation negatively affects the image of Uzbekistan and reduces the trust of Korean companies in Uzbek workers.
The problem also concerns the educational sector: some young people who come to language courses or universities are dropping out of school and switching to illegal work. According to data, in 2024, among those who entered the country with a D-2 student visa and violated the rules, Uzbeks made up 13 percent.
Korea allocates 5,000 quotas for Uzbekistan under the E-8 seasonal visa each year, but only 600 are currently being used. Currently, workers from Uzbekistan are sent to Korea only through the Migration Agency.