The labor ministry will accept applications from employers for permission to hire foreign workers under the E-9 nonspecialist work visa.

The ministry’s regional offices nationwide will accept the applications between January 26 and February 10, and the authorities plan to issue employment permits for 15-thousand-784 workers.

The largest number of permits, eleven-thousand-275, has been allocated for workers in the manufacturing industry.

Another two-thousand-382 permits will be issued for work in the agricultural and livestock industries, one-thousand-495 for fisheries work and 492 for construction work.

An additional ten-thousand permits may be issued if there is more demand.

The permit system exists to support small and midsize businesses that can’t attract enough domestic workers to fill vacancies.

The ministry plans to accept applications in four more rounds and issue a total of 80-thousand permits this year.