Gov't scraps elder care tax for short-term migrant workers

“Financial hurdles were lowered for foreign laborers working in the country's agricultural and fisheries sectors, Wednesday, as the government decided to exempt short-term seasonal workers from a mandatory elder care insurance tax they were unlikely to ever use. The Cabinet approved an amendment to the Long-Term Care Insurance Act, allowing holders of the E-8 seasonal worker visa to opt out of the insurance program upon request. The decision addresses a long-standing grievance among rural employers and migrant workers who argued that the mandatory payments were an unnecessary economic burden. Under the previous law, all workers enrolled in the national health system were automatically charged for long-term care insurance, which provides domestic and physical assistance to those over 65 or suffering from geriatric diseases. However, government data highlighted a stark disconnect: the E-8 visa is restricted to workers aged 19 to 55 who remain in the country for a maximum of eight months. As of December 2025, while 914 seasonal workers had paid nearly 400 million won ($274,911) in premiums

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