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By Lee Hyo-jin
The government plans to attract immigrants to settle in rural regions that are struggling with severe labor shortages due to a rapidly shrinking population.
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Justice announced the launch of the so-called region-specific visa, which will be granted from October this year to foreign nationals seeking to live and work in rural regions designated by the government.
Under the new visa category, skilled workers who meet certain criteria will be given a residency visa (F-2) under the condition that he or she is employed in industries designated by the local government. The foreign resident should live in the region for at least five years after obtaining the visa, during which they are allowed to invite their spouse and underage children to Korea.
Eligible applicants for the region-specific visa must meet certain requirements including proficiency in the Korean language and possess an academic background with a bachelor's degree or higher.
The ministry said it will receive applications from the municipal governments of counties and small cities wishing to participate in the pilot program of the region-specific visa scheme. A total of 89 regions that are currently classified as depopulated areas by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety are eligible to apply.
The justice ministry will then select about five regions and offer F-2 visas to a total of 500 foreign residents beginning in October. The trial project will run for one year until October 2023, after which the authorities will review expanding it to other regions.
The authorities noted that similar visa systems have been adopted in other countries such as the Skilled Work Regional visa in Australia and the Atlantic Immigration Program in Canada.
Moreover, the government plans to foster foreign information and communications technology experts by creating a fast-track pathway to citizenship or residency for international students pursuing advanced degrees in science and technology here.
It will also come up with a birth registration system for babies of undocumented foreign nationals to better guarantee the children to access basic social services. Under the current law, foreign parents cannot register their children if they are not legally staying here, leaving the children deprived of child-related rights and benefits.
