South Korea Reduces Visa Slots To About 3,000 For 2 Categories Of Foreigners

• South Korea's Ministry of Justice announced a major overhaul of its region-specific visa programme
• The total cap on visa participants was slashed from 6,790 to around 3,000 across two visa categories for foreigners
• Applications for the 2027–28 edition of the programme opened with a deadline of November 10, 2026

South Korea has announced sweeping changes to its region-specific visa programme, drastically cutting the number of available slots for foreign nationals hoping to live and work outside the Seoul metropolitan area.

The country's Ministry of Justice unveiled the overhaul on August 24, 2026, following a comprehensive evaluation of the existing scheme.

The total number of visa participants will drop from 6,790 to approximately 3,000, while each metropolitan-level local government will see its individual allocation reduced from a range of 60 to 1,000 people down to just 50 to 200.

What Changed in South Korea's Visa Programme

The revised programme covers two visa categories: the international student visa (D-2) and the professional work visa (E-7).

Previously, local governments could only design their recruitment programmes around one category, but the new rules allow them to use both simultaneously, giving regions more flexibility to meet specific labour and population needs.

The stricter slot limits were introduced to curb what officials described as indiscriminate recruiting.

Going forward, foreigners already living in South Korea will receive priority consideration, while applicants from abroad will only be accepted in limited numbers after completing pre-entry training and passing Korean-language proficiency tests.

Local governments will also evaluate each applicant's language ability and genuine intent to settle in the target region before making a recommendation.

The programme's restructuring also introduced new settlement incentives. Foreign students who complete their studies on a regional D-2 visa can transition to a regional E-7 work visa if they secure employment in the same area after graduation.

Additionally, spouses of E-7 regional visa holders will now be permitted to work within the region, a change designed to encourage families to put down roots and contribute to local economies.

Justice Minister Explains the Reform's Goals

Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho explained the government's reasoning behind the tighter system, saying,

"This reform is not just about expanding the pool of foreign workers, but instead seeks to refine the system to carefully select the talent needed by regional industries and responsibly facilitate a smooth transition, from study abroad to employment, family accompaniment, settlement in a region and contribution to the area economy."

Applications for the 2027–28 edition of the programme, which will begin next year, are now open and must be submitted by November 10, 2026.

South Korea publishes guidance on 5-year jail

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that South Korea's immigration system flagged a specific category of foreigners who risk up to five years in prison under the Personal Information Protection Act.

The offence involves using another foreigner's passport number or alien registration number to make an immigration office visit reservation.