Chungnam Province announced on the 26th its plan to promote the "Region-Specific Visa Program" to attract foreign talent.

The Region-Specific Visa Program is designed to create a virtuous cycle in areas with declining populations by attracting foreigners who are a good fit for local specialized industries, universities, and job opportunities. This aims to expand the resident population, boost economic activity, and encourage overall population inflow. The program will be implemented through three types: △Outstanding Talent (F-2-R), △Overseas Koreans (F-4-R), and △Skilled Workers (E-7-4R).

The Outstanding Talent (F-2-R) visa grants a long-term residency visa to foreigners who meet specific qualifications, such as academic background or income levels, provided they reside and work (or start a business) in a population-declining area for at least five years. For the Overseas Koreans (F-4-R) visa, long-term residency is granted without additional conditions if family members accompany the move.

Additionally, the Skilled Workers (E-7-4R) visa, newly introduced this year, is expected to significantly contribute to increasing the resident population and filling job vacancies. It grants a long-term residency visa to non-professional foreign workers (E-9, E-10, H-2) who meet requirements such as skill level and Korean language proficiency, provided they reside and work in a population-declining area for at least three years.

The province has been allocated 798 individuals for the Outstanding Talent (F-2-R) visa type by the Ministry of Justice for a two-year period, from this year to next. The Skilled Workers (E-7-4R) type will be allocated separately in the future, while there is no limit on the number of Overseas Koreans (F-4-R).

Here's the breakdown of allocated Outstanding Talent (F-2-R) visas per city/county: Gongju 90, Boryeong 220, Nonsan 40, Geumsan 120, Buyeo 40, Seocheon 70, Cheongyang 80, Yesan 120, and Taean 18.

Individuals wishing to apply for a visa conversion should visit the relevant city/county department. They'll need to prepare an application form and supporting documents proving academic background, residency, economic activity, Korean language proficiency, etc. Applications are expected to be accepted starting next month on the 4th.

After a review process, once a recommendation letter is issued, foreigners can directly apply for a change of residency status to a long-term residency visa at the Daejeon Immigration Office.

To recruit individuals for the Outstanding Talent (F-2-R) visa type allocated by the Ministry of Justice, the province plans to establish an organic cooperative system with cities/counties, universities, and related organizations. This will involve promoting the program, identifying eligible candidates, and facilitating job connections between foreigners and companies.

An official from the province stated, "We will actively utilize the Region-Specific Visa Program to increase the resident population and secure industrial manpower in population-declining areas within the province. We will make diverse efforts to attract and help outstanding foreign talent settle in our region."

Department in Charge: Foreigner Policy Division, Foreigner Support Team

Tel : 041-635-4992