Regional Specialized Talent (Regional Specialized Visa, Residence)

Who can apply

• ✓Foreigners who agree to live and work in a designated depopulation region (인구감소지역) and are recommended by the local government (지자체 추천).
• ✓Two main tracks: (1) Outstanding Talent track (우수인재) – holders of a Korean junior-college associate degree or higher (국내 전문학사 이상; 2-year college graduates or soon-to-graduate) who meet the Korean-language standard; (2) Income track (소득요건) – foreigners who earn at least the annual living wage of the relevant metropolitan area (광역지자체 생활임금) and hold an eligible degree.
• ✓Both tracks require a local-government recommendation and a commitment to reside and work in the designated region.

Documents you'll need

• Passport
• Alien Registration Card (for holders already in Korea)
• completed application for change of status / visa issuance
• local government recommendation letter (지자체 추천서)
• proof of degree (Korean associate degree/diploma or certificate of expected graduation)
• proof of Korean language ability (TOPIK certificate or KIIP completion)
• proof of income or employment (labor contract showing at least the regional annual living wage and a contract of at least 1 year, or income evidence)
• proof of residence/address in the designated region
• fee. (Exact document list is set by each regional program and the local immigration office – confirm on HiKorea.)

How to apply

• Mainly domestic change-of-status (체류자격변경) to F-2-R, requiring a recommendation from the head of the designated local government (지자체장 추천).
• Overseas applicants apply via a Confirmation of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) then get the visa at a Korean embassy/consulate.
• The local-government recommendation is mandatory on all routes.
• Applied for at the local Immigration Office (지방출입국·외국인관서) after receiving the local-government recommendation.
• In practice most applicants already hold another status (e.g.
• D-2 student, D-10, E-7) and apply through ‘change of status’ (체류자격변경허가) via HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr) e-application + visit booking.
• Applicants abroad can use the Certificate of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) route through an embassy/consulate.
• Evaluation is partly qualitative (residence record, employment, likelihood of settling in the region).

Working on this visa

• Work is permitted.
• As of the 2025 operating plan, F-2-R holders may work freely at any understaffed business within the depopulation region (인구감소지역 내 인력이 부족한 모든 업체에서 자유롭게 취업), except for gambling/speculative and other businesses against public morals.
• The 2025 plan also raised the per-employer foreign-hiring cap from up to 20 to up to 50 people depending on company size.
• Employment/self-employment must remain within the designated region and sector during the restriction period.

One of three 2025 regional-specialized (지역특화형) tracks: F-2-R (지역특화 우수인재, an F-2 residence talent track), E-7-4R (지역특화 숙련기능인력, newly created 2025), and F-4-R (지역특화 외국국적동포). F-2-R is the talent track; the three have different eligibility bases.

2025–2026 policy updates

• 2025 Operating Plan (법무부 2025년 지역특화형 비자 운영계획, announced 2025-02-20, in force / run as a 2-year multi-year program 2025-2026): (1) Korean-language requirement raised from TOPIK 3 / KIIP level 3 to TOPIK 4 / KIIP level 4.
• (2) Target regions expanded from 89 depopulation regions (인구감소지역) to 107, adding 18 ‘depopulation concern regions’ (인구감소관심지역); about 85 local governments participate.
• (3) Total F-2-R allocation of 5,072 people (of 5,156 requested, ~98.3%).
• (4) Work liberalized – F-2-R holders may work at any understaffed business in the region.
• (5) Per-employer foreign-hiring cap raised from up to 20 to up to 50.
• (6) Income requirement basis changed, effective 2025-07-02, from a GNI-based threshold to the metropolitan-area annual living wage (광역지자체 생활임금); e.g.
• Chungcheongbuk-do 2025 living wage cited at 29,601,924 KRW/year.
• Employment applicants must show a labor contract at or above the regional annual living wage with a term of at least 1 year.

Common mistakes

• Assuming you can live or work anywhere in Korea – residence and work are tied to the designated depopulation region for 5 years; moving out early can cancel the visa.
• Assuming TOPIK 3 is still enough – the 2025 plan requires TOPIK 4 / KIIP 4.
• Assuming a fixed nationwide salary number – the income threshold now follows each metropolitan area’s living wage, not GNI.
• Applying without the local-government recommendation, which is mandatory.
• Confusing F-2-R (residence/talent) with E-7-4-R (skilled worker) or F-4-R (overseas Korean).

Where this leads

Official source ↗  Official manual ↗