For a migrant worker in Korea, a valid visa often comes down to administrative perfection. But when an employer fumbles the paperwork, it isn't the boss who faces expulsion — it's the laborer. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission stepped in Thursday to rectify one case of such oversight. The watchdog agency formally expressed its opinion that a foreign employee, caught in administrative limbo due entirely to his employer's negligence, should have his reemployment permit granted. At the same time, the commission urged the Ministry of Employment and Labor to overhaul systemic loopholes that penalize faultless workers with deportation and undocumented status. Although legally nonbinding, the commission’s formal recommendations carry significant sway over regulatory policy. The case centers on an immigrant worker identified only as A, who entered Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS) on an E-9 visa — a program designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises fill crucial labor shortages. Since March 2024, the employee had been working at a manufacturing facility