Government ups Busan F-2-R visa quota to 120 as city seeks foreign talent

Attendees fill out their resume during the Job Fair for International Students held in Busan in July last year. [NEWS1]

Busan is getting a bigger quota for the regional specialized residency visa this year as it aims to attract more foreigners to reside in the city long-term.

The city announced Tuesday it was allocated a quota of 120 for the F-2-R regional specialized residency visa by the Ministry of Justice this year.

It had a quota of 110 last year and issued the visa to 94 people between April and October.

The F-2-R visa allows foreigners to reside in Korea for five years but requires them to live and work in areas designated by the government.

For Busan, those who graduated with a bachelor's degree or above from a Busan university and will live and work in the city's Seo District, Dong District or Yeongdo District are eligible to apply.

Each of the three districts has a quota of 40.

Applicants also need to have a Topik level of 3 or above or have completed level 3 or above in the Korea Immigration & Integration Program to be eligible.

Applicants can apply for the visa at the three local district offices, although specific application periods will be announced after discussion with the Justice Ministry.

The city also plans to connect international students who acquired the F-2-R visa to job opportunities at local businesses.

"It's important for Busan to attract companies to the city, but it's also important for us to attract global talent," Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon said. "With the regional specialized residency visa, we will connect local businesses that are facing labor shortages with talented candidates while also doing our best to help them settle down in Busan."

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]