Jeonnam Province Focuses Administrative Efforts on Attracting Outstanding Foreign Talent

Jeollanamdo is actively promoting the region-specific visa (F-2-R, E-7-4R) program and focusing on creating a foundation for attracting outstanding foreign talent. Photo by Jeonnam Province.

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Jeonnam Province is actively promoting the region-specific visa (F-2-R, E-7-4R) program and is fully committed to establishing a foundation for attracting outstanding foreign talents through continuous institutional improvements and proactive administrative support.

The region-specific visa program consists of the Regional Outstanding Talent (F-2-R) type and the newly established Regional Specialized Skilled Worker (E-7-4R) type this year, both contributing to the stable settlement of foreigners and the revitalization of local industries.

As a result of Jeonnam Province's continuous proposals to the central government for institutional improvements to attract outstanding foreign talents, the income requirement for the Regional Outstanding Talent type has been eased. In addition, the Regional Specialized Skilled Worker type has achieved tangible results, such as recording the highest quota fulfillment rate nationwide.

The existing Regional Outstanding Talent visa had institutional limitations, as it required a high income threshold of at least 70% of the previous year's Gross National Income (GNI), making it difficult for foreigners to convert their visas.

To address this, Jeonnam Province proposed to the Ministry of Justice to lower the income requirement from approximately 35 million won to around 29.92 million won, which is the living wage level set by each city and province. This change was reflected in the system starting July 2.

For 2025, the Regional Outstanding Talent type was allocated a quota of 386. Before the institutional improvement, only 8 people had applied in the first half of the year. However, within just one month after the improvement, 11 people applied for visa conversion, demonstrating a clear effect.

Meaningful results are also being seen in the Regional Specialized Skilled Worker type.

The Regional Specialized Skilled Worker type allows simple labor workers (E-9, E-10, H-2), who account for 45% of registered foreigners in Jeonnam Province, to convert to a status that permits long-term stay. This enables them to work long-term in manufacturing and agriculture, settle with their families, and make significant contributions to alleviating local labor shortages and increasing population inflow.

Jeonnam Province was initially allocated a recommendation quota of 308, but due to rapid exhaustion, an additional 130 were allocated in June, expanding the total to 438. As of August, 303 people have applied for visa conversion, achieving the highest quota fulfillment rate in the country.

In particular, visa conversion applications have been submitted from all 16 population-declining areas in the province, indicating high demand for the program across the entire region.

Jeonnam Province plans to continue actively promoting the region-specific visa program and encouraging participation by holding on-site visa information sessions for local foreign students and workers.

Yoon Yeonhwa, Director of Population, Youth and Immigration at Jeonnam Province, stated, "Foreign talents brought in through the region-specific visa program are valuable members who help resolve population decline and labor shortages in the province, and inject new vitality into the region. We will also do our best to ensure their stable settlement in Jeonnam by working to eliminate blind spots in the human rights of foreign workers and improve perceptions of foreign residents."

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