🎉The free AI chatbot ASKOVISA app, created by APIL, is now available (iOS/Android)🎉

The Wall of Information Standing Before Korea's Migrants and Refugees Alongside Institutional Barriers

Migrants and refugees arriving in Korea face numerous barriers. While cultural and language barriers are significant, institutional barriers are also extremely high. Even information about various legal, labor, and government administrative services—which should be readily provided if migrants are to be welcomed as members of Korean society—is not transparently disclosed. In particular, the visa required to enter Korea and the residency status one must obtain within Korea are excessively complex. Even experts find it difficult to know what criteria are required for specific residency statuses or what documents must be submitted. Korea's immigration offices only publish complex guidelines written in Korean, and these offices are perceived as intimidating and inconvenient places where friendly consultations are not provided.

That's why the Advocates for Public Interest Law created the AI chatbot ASKOVISA.

APIL, a nonprofit public interest lawyer organization with a long history of advocating for the rights and equality of refugees and immigrants, has created a free chatbot that anyone can use conveniently. We aim to start slowly with information about residency—information that immigration office don't readily provide and that has nowhere to turn for—information about visas for those seeking Korea from abroad, and information about financial matters like opening a bank account and the four major insurances, which everyone needs.

So, what kind of chatbot is ASKOVISA?

ASKOVISA is a name combining ASK + KO + VISA. It has the intuitive name "Ask about Korea's Visa." ASKOVISA's logo combines a speech bubble (chatbot), a shield (advocacy for refugees and immigrants), and a star (AI). Through this chatbot, we aim to take the first step in advocating for the rights of refugees and immigrants using technology.

First, ASKOVISA prioritized providing accurate information above all else. If important information for immigrants and refugees is inaccurate, they cannot trust and use the app. Therefore, ASKOVISA learned from the Foreign Nationals' Stay Manual and Foreign Nationals' Visa Manual published by the Immigration and Foreign Nationals Policy Headquarters, as well as the Refugee Case Processing Guidelines disclosed through court rulings. ASKOVISA offers distinct accuracy compared to general-purpose AI that learns from all the inaccurate information found online. While it may not match the precision of direct human expert input, it will gradually become more accurate.

Second, ASKOVISA provides evidence It's difficult to know if information is accurate without evidence for the answer. That's why ASKOVISA directly captures and displays the relevant pages from the Foreign Resident Manual and Foreign Visa Manual that form the basis for the chatbot's reasoning. This ensures safer and smoother usage.

Third, ASKOVISA is completely free. As an app created by a non-profit public interest lawyer organization, it is unrelated to commercial activities. It is an app anyone can use for free. There are no usage fees, and no membership sign-up is required except for the community board feature. The focus is on making it as easy as possible for anyone to use with minimal barriers.

Fourth, ASKOVISA allows you to ask questions and receive answers in your native language. At launch, considering the languages used, it supports nine languages: English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Uzbek, Russian, Arabic, French, and Korean. Updates are planned soon to improve support for the languages of all immigrants and refugees in Korea.

Fifth, ASKOVISA cannot deliver magical results, but it provides information to help navigate the path forward amidst barriers. This is not a completely error-free consultation. The specific qualifications and required documents can vary greatly depending on individual circumstances and the concrete situation in all aspects of residency and finance. Please understand that official responses from the government, the decision-making authority, can change. However, in the frustrating situation of having no information, you can obtain reliable information to chart your path forward. More specific details and information can be obtained through consultations with the expert immigrant and refugee organizations near you.

Please spread ASKOVISA to your friends

The APIL will continue its fight to change unjust systems and secure the rights and equality of refugees and migrants who have come to Korea, just as it has done until now. At the same time, we will also explore ways for civil society to act so that the questions refugees and migrants are asking the government in the current situation do not hit a wall without answers.

Please spread the word about the app to the migrants and refugees around you. The more people use it and overcome barriers, the more ASKOVISA will develop. This will bring the government's unreasonable systems into the public discourse and gradually improve them. The power to break down barriers lies in your widespread use and trust.

Find ASKOVISA on the App Store and Google Play

IOS) https://apps.apple.com/kr/app/askovisa-korea-entry-chatbot/id6753971986#information

ANDROID) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kr.or.askovisa