The Korean government issues a regional-specific (F-2-R) visa with significantly relaxed visa conditions for foreigners wishing to reside in rural areas. This visa is issued on the condition of residing in a specific region, and foreign students residing in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, etc. can also change to a region-specific (F-2-R) visa on the condition of working and residing in the region.
1. The regional-specific (F-2-R) visa issuance procedure is largely as follows.
1) Check the area where you can apply
2) Sign an employment contract with a company that can provide employment in the area
3) Apply for issuance of a letter of recommendation to the relevant local government and issue a letter of recommendation from the local government
4) Apply for visa change at the immigration office
5) Moving and employment activities after visa issuance
2. Things to keep in mind when concluding an employment contract
1) For a regional specialty type (F-2-R) visa, you must check whether the company you wish to enter into an employment contract with is included in the industry eligible for regional specialty type (F-2-R) employment.
2) In order to extend a regional-specific (F-2-R) visa, you must meet 70% of the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of the previous year as of the date of application. Therefore, in order to extend your visa in the future, you must check the salary requirements when concluding an employment contract.
※ Reference: GNI per capita (2022) KRW 42,487,000 → GNI per capita (70%) KRW 29,740,900
3. Necessity of assistance from a lawyer in the process of applying for a regionally specialized (F-2-R) visa
Regional specialty (F-2-R) visas have some differences in requirements for each local government, and there are disadvantages such as cancellation of the visa if duplicate applications are found. Therefore, you must identify the local government that best suits your current conditions and wishes, and also find a company where you can work.
In particular, if a foreign student living in Seoul or Gyeonggi-do wants to change to a regional-specific (F-2-R) visa on the condition of working in the region, it is difficult to find a region that satisfies the conditions and a company where he or she can work. Based on my experience working as a civil servant at the immigration office, I provide professional legal assistance related to regional-specific (F-2-R) visas, such as recommending local governments that meet the applicant's conditions and recommending companies where employment is possible.
* This is related to immigration policy as of the posting date. For specific details, we recommend that you contact the office for consultation (TEL: 031-8019-9328, Email: info@immikr.com).