South Korea has decided to significantly reduce the quota for foreign workers under its Employment Permit System (EPS), a move that will directly affect Nepali migrant workers.
For 2026, the quota for non-professional workers under the E-9 visa has been set at 80,000, down from 130,000 in 2025—a reduction of 50,000 or 38.46 percent. The decision was taken by South Korea’s Foreign Workforce Policy Committee, which approved quotas for 17 labor-sending countries, including Nepal.
Korean authorities said the cut was necessary as the post-COVID surge in demand for foreign workers has stabilized. Economic slowdown, changing labor demand, and the underutilization of this year’s quota—only 48,668 permits issued out of 130,000 by November 2025—were cited as key reasons.
Despite the reduction, South Korea remains a major destination for Nepali workers. In total, the country plans to bring in 191,000 foreign workers in 2026, including 80,000 under the E-9 visa for manufacturing, agriculture, fisheries, and construction, and 109,000 under the E-8 visa for seasonal work.
Of the E-9 quota, 70,000 slots are sector-specific, while 10,000 are kept as a flexible reserve. The Korean labor ministry said visas will be allocated based on integrated demand-and-supply assessments rather than fixed sector-wise quotas.
