Yeongdeok County Holds On-site Regional Specialized Visa Program Briefing Session

Encouraging Foreign Talent to Settle in Local Areas to Address Labor Shortages

Yeongdeok County in North Gyeongsang Province held an 'On-site Local Specialized Visa Program Information Session' for companies in the region's specialized fisheries industry on the 24th at the main conference room of the Lohas Fisheries Food Support Center.

Yeongdeok County held an outreach regional specialized visa project briefing session.

This information session, co-hosted by North Gyeongsang Province, Yeongdeok County, the K-Dream Foreign Support Center, and the Yeongdeok County Family Center, was organized to help businesses that employ or wish to employ foreigners better understand the purpose, eligibility requirements, and application procedures of the local specialized visa program.

The local specialized visa program is a system that issues a local specialized visa (F-2-R), allowing long-term residence for foreigners who meet certain criteria, such as being an international student who has graduated or is expected to graduate from a domestic junior college or higher, or a worker earning at least 70% of the previous year's per capita Gross National Income, provided they live or work in a depopulated area. The program also includes special provisions allowing the invitation of accompanying family members (spouse and minor children) and employment activities for spouses.

Companies and foreigners wishing to participate in the program can proceed through the following steps: ▲ Employment matching by registering job openings or job searches at the K-Dream Foreign Support Center ▲ Application for issuance of a recommendation letter for the local specialized visa program (Yeongdeok County Planning and Budget Office) ▲ Issuance of the recommendation letter (North Gyeongsang Province → Yeongdeok County) and application for change of residence status (Pohang Immigration Office).

Kim Myungjung, head of the Planning and Budget Office, said, “Yeongdeok County Family Center has been designated as the dedicated agency for this project, and from July, we plan to provide employment matching and initial settlement cost support to help foreign talents settle in the local industry. In addition, we will promote one-stop settlement support such as strengthening Korean language skills and customized educational support for foreign children to ensure a smooth landing in the local community.”