F-2-R gives you resident status in Korea if a province recommends you and you agree to live and work in one of its population-decline areas. You get a resident visa and a wide choice of jobs. In return, the first 2 years are tied to one area, and you commit to 5 years.
This guide is for foreign residents already in Korea who are weighing that trade. That includes E-7 and E-7-4 workers, E-7-4R workers, and D-2 graduates who do not yet have the points for F-2-7.
What is F-2-R?
F-2-R (regional outstanding talent, 지역특화형 우수인재) is one sub-type of the resident visa (F-2). It is part of the Ministry of Justice regional specialized visa program (지역특화형 비자). We cover the other F-2 routes in the F-2 visa guide.
Since December 5, 2025, the rules sit in a Ministry of Justice notice (법무부고시 제2025-495호). A partial amendment (법무부고시 제2026-248호) took effect on August 3, 2026. The notice lets the Ministry of Justice set different requirements by region where depopulation is severe. Each province also publishes its own notice, so details differ by province.
The program has grown in stages:
| Round | Start | Local governments | Places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot | October 2022 (to October 2023) | 28 | 1,500 |
| Full program | January 2024 | 66 | 3,291 |
| 2025-2026 program | February 2025 | 107 | 12,585 |
| Status as of March 2026 | 107 | 13,572 |
As of March 2026, 11,534 people were staying in Korea on regional visas.
Who qualifies for F-2-R?
You need all of these:
- A recommendation letter (추천서) from the head of the province or metropolitan city.
- A degree or income. Either a Korean associate degree or higher, earned after studying in Korea on D-2 for 2 years or more, or annual income at or above that province's living wage (생활임금).
- A 5-year intent. You intend to live, work, or run a business in the recommended area for 5 years or more from the day you get F-2-R.
- Korean ability. TOPIK 3, or KIIP stage 3 completed, or placement at stage 4 on the KIIP pre-test (사전평가).
- Good conduct and any other Ministry of Justice requirements.
The income test: your province's living wage
Since December 5, 2025, the income test is the living wage of the province that recommends you. It replaced the old test of 70% of GNI per capita. Some older guides still show the old test.
Each province uses its own living wage. As a worked example, Busan's 2026 threshold is ₩30,785,700 a year, and only your own income counts. Check your own province notice for its figure.
The Korean test: TOPIK 3 since August 3, 2026
The Korean requirement has moved twice:
| Period | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Before 2025 | KIIP stage 3 or TOPIK 3 |
| 2025 plan | Raised to KIIP stage 4 or TOPIK 4 |
| From August 3, 2026 | KIIP stage 3 completed (or placed at stage 4 on the pre-test), or TOPIK 3 |
The Ministry of Justice said the change aims to help foreign students and professionals get jobs in population-decline areas. If you missed TOPIK 4 earlier, check again with TOPIK 3 as the bar. Our KIIP vs TOPIK guide explains which test fits your timeline.
Who cannot apply
You cannot apply for F-2-R if you currently hold any of these statuses:
- D-3 (technical training), D-4 (general training)
- E-6-2 (hotel and entertainment), E-8 (seasonal work)
- E-9 (non-professional employment), E-10 (crew employment)
- G-1 (miscellaneous), H-1 (working holiday)
E-9 and E-10 holders can only use the regional skilled worker track (E-7-4R, 지역특화형 숙련기능인력). See our E-7-4 visa guide for that route.
These people are also excluded:
- D-10 job seekers whose previous status was on the list above.
- Nationals of the 21 countries listed in Ministry of Justice Notice No. 2011-534 (법무부고시 제2011-534호), including Vietnam and China, who hold a short-term status.
- Anyone who held a regional visa or its family status in the last 5 years. This includes people who changed out of F-2-R and people whose F-2-R was cancelled.
Time on E-7-4 or E-7-4R
- E-7-4 holders can apply after 2 years or more on E-7-4.
- E-7-4R holders can apply after 3 years or more on E-7-4R while living in a population-decline area.
Conduct rules
You fail the conduct test if, for example:
- You received a fine of ₩3 million or more within 3 years of applying.
- Your immigration-law fines add up to ₩5 million or more within 3 years.
- You received 3 or more fines within the last 3 years.
Where can you live on F-2-R?
The target areas are population-decline areas (인구감소지역) and areas of concern (인구감소관심지역) inside provinces and metropolitan cities that take part in the program. Participation and the number of places come from each province and city notice.
Use the Seoulstart population-decline area checker to see whether a city, county, or district is on the list. Then confirm on the province notice that it takes part in F-2-R.
How the quota works
Places flow down from the national level:
- Each city or county tells its province how many people it needs.
- The province adjusts the numbers and sends them to the Ministry of Justice.
- The Ministry of Justice decides each province's number.
- The province splits that number among its cities and counties.
- The city or county screens applicants within its quota and sends names to the province. The province issues the recommendation letter.
Some local calls also cap each nationality. Busan's third 2026 call offered 69 places (Dong-gu 17, Seo-gu 20, Yeongdo-gu 32) and allowed no single nationality more than 30% of the places. Yeongdo-gu's quota had already closed to Vietnamese nationals.
The rules once you have F-2-R
The 2-year residence rule
For the first 2 years from approval, you must actually live in the recommended area. After 2 years, you can move to another population-decline area in the same province.
Some provinces offer types A to D. For example, one type lets you live in the recommended area and work anywhere in the province. For types C and D, you can live anywhere in the same province during the first 2 years. Check which types your province allows.
If you have not moved in yet, you have 30 days after the status change to report your move and finish moving. If more than 15 days pass between your lease date and your move-in report, your status can be cancelled.
Working on F-2-R
You can work in any field except restricted ones, such as gambling, bars where customers sing (단란주점) and hostess bars (유흥주점), and businesses that harm public morals.
A job offer must meet these rules:
- Pay at least the province living wage and at least the minimum wage.
- A contract of 1 year or more.
- A start date within 3 months of your application.
- No day-labour or dispatch jobs through placement or staffing agencies.
Employers can only hire a limited number of F-2-R workers, based on how many Korean employees they have on employment insurance. Those Korean employees must have had employment insurance for 3 months or more.
| Korean insured employees | F-2-R cap |
|---|---|
| 1 to 5 | Up to 3 |
| 6 to 50 | 50% of the Korean headcount |
| 51 to 100 | 50% of the Korean headcount, up to 35 |
| 101 to 150 | 40 |
| 151 or more | 50 |
In 2025, the maximum cap was raised from 20 to 50.
Small-business exception. From May 18, 2026 to December 31, 2027, a pilot runs in the 89 population-decline areas. Under it, a small business (manufacturing, wholesale or retail, or restaurant) or a farm corporation can hire one F-2-R worker even with no Korean staff. The business needs 3 years or more in operation and ₩100 million or more in sales the previous year (or a 2-year average of ₩100 million or more).
Changing jobs
- Within 1 year of the status change: you generally cannot change employer. Exceptions include business closure and unpaid wages.
- After 1 year: a new employer needs a new provincial recommendation letter, and you file a permit-condition change (허가조건 변경). This filing has no fee.
Starting a business
The start-up route needs an investment of ₩200 million or more. At least ₩100 million of that must be foreign capital brought into Korea.
Extensions
Each approval gives you a stay of up to 1 year. For an extension, you do not need a new recommendation letter unless you change employer or switch between a job and a business. At extension, your prior-year income (yours plus your F-3-1R spouse's, combined) must be at or above the province living wage.
Can your family join you?
Yes. Your spouse and minor children can get F-3-1R (regional talent family, 지역인재가족). Their stay is tied to your expiry date.
- Housing: you need separate housing, not a dormitory.
- Income: for a family of 4 or fewer, your own income test is enough. For 5 or more, you need monthly income above the housing-benefit line. In 2026, that line is ₩3,627,225 for 5 people.
- Spouse's Korean: your spouse must complete KIIP stage 2 (or be placed at stage 3) within 2 years of the status change. If not, extensions are cut to 6 months at a time.
- Spouse's work: your spouse can work with a permission for activities outside status. The job must be at a business inside the recommended area, in any field except restricted ones. The permission lasts up to 1 year and can be renewed.
- Babies born in Korea: register a child born to an F-2-R holder within 90 days of birth.
How to apply for F-2-R
- Find an open call. Check your province and city notice boards. Each notice sets its own window, places, and allowed types.
- Apply at the city, county, or district office. Go to the regional-visa desk with your documents.
- Get the recommendation letter. The province issues it. It is valid for 3 months from issue and for one application only.
- Book an immigration visit. Change your status to F-2-R at the immigration office for your area.
Immigration can still refuse you after the letter. Its review covers your overseas criminal record, conduct, and employer requirements.
Documents
This list comes from Busan's 2026 notice. Other provinces may ask for different items.
- Application form, passport copy, and ARC copy
- Certificate of alien registration facts (외국인등록사실증명), issued within 1 month
- Degree certificate, or an income certificate from the tax office (소득금액증명원)
- Lease contract, property registry, or housing confirmation
- Employment contract, certificate of employment, and the employer's business registration
- Employer tax-clearance certificates and employment-insurance rosters
- TOPIK or KIIP certificate
- After you get the letter: an overseas criminal record certificate (해외범죄경력증명서) from your country of nationality
The criminal record certificate can take a long time to get from abroad, so start on it early.
Fees
Under the Enforcement Rule fee table, a change of status permit costs ₩100,000, and an ARC costs ₩35,000.
2026 deadlines and open questions
2026 windows. Busan (Seo-gu, Dong-gu, Yeongdo-gu) stopped issuing letters on September 30, 2026. Chungcheongnam-do offered 501 F-2-R places in 9 cities and counties. Its letters ran to September 30, 2026, and visa applications run to December 31, 2026.
After 2026. The current plan, published in February 2025, runs for 2 years to the end of 2026. Before you plan around 2027, ask the city or county office or call the Immigration Contact Center.
New area list. On October 7, 2026, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety re-designated 92 population-decline areas and 18 areas of concern. The May 2026 Ministry of Justice release still refers to the 89 population-decline areas designated in 2021. Ask your province before you plan around an area that joined or left the list in October 2026.
Is F-2-R right for you?
F-2-R can fit you if:
- You graduated from a Korean university on D-2 but do not yet have the points for F-2-7.
- You are on E-7-4 or E-7-4R and have the required years.
- You already work, or can find a job, in a participating area at or above the living wage.
Think twice if:
- You expect to want a job in Seoul or another large city in the next 2 years.
- A move would be hard on your family, or you have 5 or more family members and lower income.
- You might leave early. Leaving the program blocks a new regional visa for 5 years.
Looking for work in a regional area first? Browse Seoulstart Jobs for current openings.
Other regional visas
- E-7-4R (regional skilled worker): the track for E-9 and E-10 holders. After 3 years in a population-decline area or area of concern, holders can switch to F-2-R in a population-decline area.
- F-4-R (regional overseas Korean): for overseas Koreans recommended by the local head. It is issued on condition of living 2 years or more in a population-decline area. It allows simple labour and eases the income test when moving to F-5.