Ministry of Justice Announces Immigration Policy Achievements Including Expansion of "Top-Tier Visa" and Solutions for Regional Labor Shortages

Attracting 350 Top-Tier Talents by 2030
New "K-CORE" Visa Established for Regional Businesses

The Ministry of Justice announced on June 8 the achievements of its immigration and residency policy, including improvements to visa systems aimed at securing foreign talent and essential workers, and measures to strengthen social integration and support for resolving workforce shortages in rural areas.

Ministry of Justice Building [Provided by Ministry of Justice. Resale and DB prohibited]

To begin with, the Ministry of Justice expanded the eligibility for the "Top-Tier Visa," which had previously been limited to eight advanced industries including semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and secondary batteries, to include professors and researchers in the field of science and technology starting in June 2026. Top-Tier Visa holders and their families are granted F-2 residency status, which allows free employment, along with benefits such as a shortened period for permanent residency application, up to 50% reduction in earned income tax for a maximum of 10 years, and support for rental deposit loans equivalent to those available to Korean nationals. The ministry plans to increase the number of Top-Tier Visa holders from the current 24 to 350 by 2030.

The ministry is also moving to improve policies to address labor shortages in regional industries. It newly established the "K-CORE Visa" for professional skilled workers, allowing foreign graduates of specialized departments at domestic junior colleges to work at small and medium-sized enterprises in local areas, thereby supplying 800 skilled workers annually. In addition, the "Regional Vitality Small Business Employment Special Program" was introduced, allowing small business owners and agricultural corporations in depopulated areas to hire one foreign worker even if they have no record of employing Korean nationals.

For rural and fishing communities, a record-high allocation of 109,100 seasonal workers was made this year. The ministry also introduced a "commissioned agricultural work" program in which agricultural corporations handle the work on behalf of farmers, and designated the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Education & Culture Information Service as the central specialized institution to establish a stable foundation for the operation of these systems.

Innovations also continued in the areas of tourism and settlement support. Temporary visa-free entry was allowed for group tourists from China and Indonesia, attracting 71,308 Chinese tourists through April this year. The number of accredited medical tourism organizations was also significantly increased from 39 to 90.

Regarding policies for overseas Koreans, the ministry unified the Work and Visit (H-2) Visa and the Overseas Korean (F-4) Visa, resolving controversies over discrimination based on country of origin. As a result, more than 36,000 overseas Koreans successfully converted their visas within three months of implementation. The number of Overseas Korean Support Centers was also expanded from 23 to 37, providing stable support for settlement in Korea.

The ministry also strengthened social safety nets and systems for human rights protection. The "Task Force for Immigrant Rights Protection" was officially institutionalized as the "Immigrant Human Rights and Rights Team," and 19 immigrant rights protection officers were designated nationwide to provide a permanent channel for reporting human rights violations. In particular, foreign workers who are victims of unpaid wages were newly included among those exempt from public officials' obligation to report illegal residency, so they can file complaints without fear of exposing their immigration status.

The Ministry of Justice plans to promote medium- and long-term policies at the national strategic level through the "2030 Immigration Policy Future Strategy" going forward. To this end, it will build a smart immigration management system based on AI and big data, and establish immigration policies using the newly designated national official statistics since April.

Justice Minister Jeong Seongho stated, "Over the past year, we have restructured immigration policy as a core national strategy," adding, "We will continue to innovate so that our efforts bring real benefits to people's lives and the local economy, and so that citizens and immigrants can grow together."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.