About 180,000 Koreans are estimated to be living as undocumented immigrants in the United States, making them the eighth-largest ethnic group among the country’s 11.3 million illegal residents, according to U.S. think-tank Pew Research Center.

Depending on their eligibility, some of the illegal Korean migrants may benefit from President Barack Obama’s order, announced Thursday, to protect nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation.

Under Obama’s plan, illegal residents who have been living in the U.S. for more than five years and who have a child who is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident can apply for a three-year work permit. One has to have no criminal record, pay taxes and undergo and pass a background check in order to be fully qualified.

The U.S. administration expects some 4.1 million people to be eligible to apply.

Obama is also granting temporary residency cards for young undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. before age 16 prior to Jan. 1, 2010, and have lived in the country for at least five years. Some 300,000 young illegal migrants are expected to benefit from the grant of temporary resident permits.

Illegal immigrants accounted for 3.5 percent of the entire U.S. population, accounting for 5.1 percent of its working population back in 2012.

Mexicans made up about half of all unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. in 2012. There were 5.9 million illegal immigrants from Mexico living in the country, followed by those from El Salvador and Guatemala.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)