The News>Gyeongsangbuk-do Government

내용: Gyeongbuk Launches a Regional Visa Pilot Project
- Gyeongbuk will be recruiting 350 excellent foreign talents from Korea and abroad to work in local industries from July this year to December 2026 -
- A briefing session will be held for regional visa officials in 22 cities and counties -

Gyeongsangbuk-do (Gyeongbuk) announced that it will launch the Regional Visa Pilot Project from July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026 to attract excellent foreign talent to the region.

On the 8th, Gyeongbuk held a business briefing session for city and county regional visa officials at the multipurpose hall of the provincial government office. It provided information on visa requirements, promotion procedures, and plans to establish a cooperative system.

The Regional Visa Pilot Project is a system in which the Ministry of Justice issues visas after the metropolitan government designs visa requirements and procedures that fit the characteristics of the region, and recommends candidates based on regional immigration policies.

It was implemented for the first time this year after a public offering process that began in December last year. Unlike the regional specialized visa project, it is not limited to areas with a decreasing population or areas of interest, but targets the entire province.

While the existing region-specific visa is limited to changes in domestic residence status, the Regional Visa Pilot Project allows the recruitment of new overseas talent.

The Gyeongbuk Visa Pilot Project designed requirements and procedures for 23 occupations of specialized workers (E-7-1) and two occupations of semi-professional workers (E-7-2) among the foreign nationals of special ability (E-7) visas, which are employment visas. It can attract 350 competent foreigners to all 22 cities and counties in the province over a period of two years.

The special requirements for foreigners who can be recommended for the Gyeongbuk regional visa are more relaxed than the general requirements for the E-7 visa. They are as follows: ▲Those who have obtained an associate degree or higher in a field related to the job type introduced from an overseas university designated by Gyeongbuk, and have experience in the field for more than a year; ▲Those who have obtained an associate degree or higher in a field related to the job type introduced from an overseas university designated by Gyeongbuk, and have a Korean language proficiency test score of Level 2 or higher; ▲Those who have worked in a field related to the job type introduced for more than three years (domestic and overseas experience combined); ▲Those who have a bachelors degree or higher from a domestic university; and ▲Those who have graduated from a domestic junior college or higher in a field related to the job type introduced.

In the case of care workers, they must meet separate requirements as holders of a domestic associate degree or higher, have a care worker license, complete a social integration program at Level 3 or higher, or score 61 points or higher on a pre-uation, or have a Korean language proficiency test at Level 3 or higher.

Foreigners who have been issued a regional visa must work at the initially approved workplace for at least one year. They can extend their stay if they meet the requirements thereafter. According to the Ministry of Justice’s notice, the minimum annual salary is KRW 28.67 million for E-7-1 occupations, and KRW 25.15 million for E-7-2 occupations.

Gyeongbuk is operating the K-Dream Foreigner Support Center in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, and the Global Talent Development Center in Tashkent, Uzbekistan to promote the regional visa pilot project. Foreigners who wish to be issued a regional visa, and companies wishing to hire foreigners can register their job seekers and recruiters on the K-Dream Foreigner Support Center website to receive support for issuing a regional visa.

The Director of the Gyeongbuk Division of Alien Resident Communities, said, The regional visa pilot project was first proposed by Gyeongsangbuk-do, and was institutionalized nationally. It is expected to become a new turning point for region-based immigration policies. We hope that this project will substantially attract talent tailored to the needs of local companies, and that there will be plenty of interest from local companies and qualified foreigners hoping to settle in Gyeongsangbuk-do.

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Gyeongbuk Launches a Regional Visa Pilot Projec 상세내용