Unveiling Bold Visa Reforms: To attract Global talent Steps taken by South Korea

Increasing GDP with the Help of Global Talent: South Korea’s New Visa Policy Rules

South Korea has emerged as a new space of global talent attraction. A country where ancient traditions meet cutting-edge technology is now inviting the world’s brightest minds to contribute to its zestful growth story. To draw in the best scientific and technological talent from around the world, the South Korean government is broadening the range of visas available to researchers and research students. The new regulations allow universities to accept international undergraduate research students in science and engineering from prestigious universities across the world.

Earlier drawing in foreign research talent was difficult for Korean universities because only a small number of specialized scientific research institutions, like the Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST), Ulsan National Institute for Science and Technology (UNIST), Daegyu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), and Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), could invite undergraduate students. As of July 1, the Ministry of Justice, which oversees immigration, announced new regulations allowing Korean universities ranked in the top 500 of the QS World University Rankings or the top 200 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings could invite foreign students.

Based on the most recent rankings, universities like Seoul National University (SNU), Yonsei University, Korea University, POSTECH, Sungkyunkwan University, Hanyang University, and Kyung Hee University can draw in foreign researchers thanks to the new regulations that loosen the existing restrictions for researchers (visa category E-3) and research students (visa category D-2–5). Additionally, there are now fewer restrictions for the research visa. It was previously restricted to people holding a doctorate or master's degree. Regardless of their prior professional experience, graduates from recognized universities or authors of renowned academic articles can now be welcomed as researchers.

The requirement of three years of work experience for holders of foreign master's degrees has been loosened for research visas. Qualifying individuals include primary authors, co-authors, and corresponding authors of papers indexed in the global Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) or the Clarivate Arts and Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI), which also includes journals related to natural science. Kim V. Narry, a professor of life sciences at SNU and the first Korean member of the Royal Society of the United Kingdom, mentioned in a meeting held on 18 April "Recruiting outstanding foreign professors or students to Korea is not easy due to institutional shortcomings like visas," the speaker said.

"Attracting talented foreign researchers can significantly expand the country's R&D capabilities and provide fresh and specialized expertise that is not easily available in the domestic academic sphere," Soo-hyuk Lee, a doctoral researcher at Korea University's College of Engineering, told University World News. Even though Korea has top-notch technology, she has always believed that research advancement is hampered by a lack of diverse interaction and communication.

Ji-Yeon Lee, a PhD researcher at Seoul University's College of Natural Sciences, stated that one factor considered in international university rankings is the percentage of foreign faculty members. He declared that he supported the Ministry of Justice's policy of facilitating greater interaction between overseas researchers and their Korean counterparts. Furthermore, foreign scholars play a critical role in efforts to internalize these goals and sustain the long-term development plans of Korean universities. "The expanded scope of exchanges will provide researchers opportunities to draw inspiration from diverse sources," the speaker continued.

Enhancing the environment for international scholars:

After announcing last year that international researchers would be treated more equally when applying for funding, the South Korean government has been progressively increasing visa and residency support for exceptional foreign talent in science and technology. Prime Minister Han Duck-Soo presented a comprehensive management plan for foreign workers at a cabinet meeting on June 20th with the proposal including reducing residency and visa requirements for highly educated foreign personnel in sophisticated industries and top researchers. Outstanding talent in science and engineering will receive customized support services, such as lowered residency restrictions. Particularly, PhD holders in science and engineering from specialized foreign universities with a letter of recommendation from their president will be granted a residence visa (F-2) without employment restrictions; those who meet point-based requirements and have outstanding research accomplishments will be eligible for permanent residency (F-5) and naturalization.

The Prime Minister's Office released data showing that, as of the previous year, just 13.3% (69,950) of foreign workers who were eligible for employment in South Korea were skilled professionals, while 85.6% (450,425) were unskilled. Recognizing that previous foreign labor policies placed an undue emphasis on temporary unskilled labor, the government has announced plans to identify new fields for skilled worker visas based on anticipated need, with a focus on critical industries like semiconductors and other sectors facing severe labor shortages.

The Ministry of Justice launched a fast-track initiative for global talents in science and technology in January 2022. This program shortened the six-year process from five phases to three for holders of student visas seeking citizenship or permanent residency. In a 2022 study on "Foreign Science and Engineering Masters and PhD Talent," conducted by the Korea Industrial Technology Association, 69% of the 300 enterprises with research institutes that answered indicated that they needed to hire more foreign professionals. The reasons stated were as follows: "superior expertise and ability compared to domestic personnel" (33%), "shortage of domestic workers" (43%), and "need for expertise when expanding into foreign markets."

Seoul and Busan are two cities where international business prospers serve as a testament to South Korea’s intentions to attract talent from around the world. Now as the government changes the visa policies and enhances the infrastructure it will surely open new doors for foreign talents.

Editor’s Note : 

South Korea is positioning itself strongly to stay competitive in luring excellence from around the world. By fine-tuning its residency and visa policies, it is firming its place in changing international dynamics. South Korea in the last few years has been employing almost 65% foreign workers which will rise exponentially after these new visa policy rules.

This momentous change in Visa policy and attracting global talent will surely benefit the economy as in 2022 58% of foreign workers contributed to South Korea’s GDP. In conclusion, South Korea has shown a strong commitment to utilizing global talent as a catalyst for economic growth and cultural advancement through its smart reforms in visa and residency laws. Skoobuzz commends the new visa policy rules of the South Korean Government and encourages global talent to smartly choose better opportunities.