South Korea is expanding eligibility for its "Top-Tier Visa," designed to attract foreign talent in advanced industries, to include overseas professors and researchers in science and technology who have authored top-tier papers or registered patents in major countries.
The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) announced Wednesday that the Top-Tier Visa program will be expanded to cover professors and researchers in science and technology fields starting in June. The visa is designed to attract top overseas talent in advanced industries including artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, displays, secondary batteries, biotechnology, advanced mobility, robotics, and the defense industry.
Newly included professors and researchers can obtain the visa through MSIT's recommendation if they meet at least one of the criteria related to awards, papers, commercialization, or career experience. Eligible candidates include foreign talent who have received internationally prestigious awards such as the Nobel Prize or the Fields Medal, or who have been recommended by such laureates. The category also covers researchers listed as "Highly Cited Researchers (HCR)" — those in the top 1% by citations — as well as authors of representative papers selected by international academic journals such as Science and Nature.
Commercialization track records are also reflected in the criteria. Researchers who hold "Triadic Patents," registered with the patent offices of the United States, Europe, and Japan, or international standard patents, or who have earned more than 1 billion won in technology licensing revenue over the past three years, are also eligible. Lead researchers or assistant professors at research institutes affiliated with the world's top 100 universities, as well as researchers at the head level or higher at research labs of Global 500 companies or national and public research institutes, can also apply.
If applicants meet the quantitative requirements, MSIT will issue a letter of recommendation immediately. Even those who do not meet the requirements but show high growth potential may be separately recommended through a qualitative evaluation by a review committee involving MSIT and the Ministry of Justice.
When candidates recommended by MSIT apply for the Top-Tier Visa, the Ministry of Justice issues a Residence (F-2) visa to the applicants and their accompanying family members, allowing employment and long-term settlement. Preferential immigration cards are also provided, and the domestic residency period required to obtain permanent residency (F-5) is shortened from five years to three years.
