According to the Ministry of Employment and Labour of the RoK, the total quota allocated specifically to sectors in 2026 is 80,000 people. Of this total, the detailed allocation by receiving sector is as follows: manufacturing: 50,000; agriculture: 10,000; construction: 2,000; fisheries: 7,000; services: 1,000; and a reserve of 10,000.
The above quota was determined by the RoK Government on the basis of an analysis of labour market demand forecasts and the results of actual surveys of recruitment needs for E-9 workers in the relevant sectors.
Compared to recent years, the 2026 intake quota shows a significant decline, as the RoK Government assesses that the temporary need to supplement foreign labour following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic has largely been met, and that there has been a marked decrease in the number of job vacancies in the manufacturing and construction sectors in recent times.
Regarding the plan for selecting foreign workers in 2026, the Ministry of Employment and Labour of the RoK is expected to organise five concentrated selection (licensing) rounds, running from March to December 2026.
In order to continue improving the quality of worker dispatch, shorten waiting times for departure, and prevent fraudulent brokerage activities related to the EPS programme, Colab has requested the Departments of Home Affairs to coordinate in disseminating information and providing guidance for workers who have submitted applications to monitor the progress of their application referrals on the website https://www.eps.go.kr; to prepare visa application documents and the necessary fees (applicable only to cases where the RoK side has issued a labour contract); and to participate in the pre-departure orientation course organised by Colab.
