KUALA LUMPUR - South Korea is expanding its elite “top-tier” visa programme to include foreign professors and researchers as part of efforts to strengthen its scientific and technological capabilities amid growing global competition for talent.

The initiative was jointly announced by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) on June 1.

The visa scheme was originally introduced to attract highly skilled professionals in advanced industries such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

Under the revised policy, academic researchers and scientists will also be eligible to apply from this month.

Applicants must obtain a recommendation from the Ministry of Science and ICT and satisfy at least one of four stringent qualification requirements.

Eligible candidates include recipients of internationally recognised awards such as the Nobel Prize or Fields Medal.

Researchers listed on the Highly Cited Researchers index with primary publications in leading journals such as Science or Nature may also qualify.

Other pathways include holding triadic patents registered in the United States, Japan and Europe that have generated more than one billion won in technology licensing fees.

Applicants may also qualify if they possess at least five years of experience as a principal investigator or assistant professor at one of the world’s top 100 universities.

The expansion forms part of South Korea’s “Brain to Korea” strategy, which aims to attract 2,000 leading scientists to the country by 2030.

To accelerate recruitment, the government has introduced a simplified online application process that can be completed within two weeks.

Successful applicants and their immediate family members will receive an F-2 residency visa.

The visa grants broad employment flexibility and a faster route to permanent residency.

Under the programme, the residency requirement for obtaining an F-5 permanent resident visa will be reduced from five years to three years.

The Ministry of Science and ICT will also provide personalised relocation assistance.

Support services will include airport arrival arrangements, housing assistance and translation services to help researchers settle more easily.

“We have built an institutional foundation to rapidly infuse global talent into our local research ecosystem,” Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho said.

MSIT Vice Prime Minister Bae Kyung-hoon said the government would continue addressing practical challenges faced by foreign researchers to ensure a favourable research environment.

South Korea has intensified efforts to attract highly skilled foreign talent as countries around the world compete for researchers in strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing.

The country faces demographic challenges, including a shrinking working-age population, and views global talent recruitment as a key component of maintaining economic competitiveness and innovation capacity.

The expansion of the top-tier visa programme reflects South Korea’s broader strategy to strengthen its research ecosystem, boost technological leadership and position itself as a regional hub for science and innovation.

Similar talent attraction initiatives have been introduced by countries including the United States, Canada, Japan and Singapore as demand for highly qualified researchers continues to grow.