The F-2-R (regional talent) visa now needs TOPIK level 3 or KIIP stage 3 — not level 4. Korea's Ministry of Justice changed its regional visa guideline on July 29, 2026. Before that, from February 2025, the requirement was TOPIK level 4 or KIIP stage 4. Now it is TOPIK level 3 or higher, or completion of KIIP stage 3 or higher (being placed in stage 4 or higher on the KIIP placement test also counts).
F-2-R is a residence visa for foreigners already living legally in Korea who agree to live and work in a population-decline area recommended by a local government. Below: all the requirements, who is excluded, family, and how to apply.
The Korean language requirement, before and after
| Period | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Before Feb 2025 | KIIP stage 3 or TOPIK level 3 |
| Feb 2025 – Jul 2026 | KIIP stage 4 (or placement test stage 5) or TOPIK level 4 |
| From the Jul 29, 2026 guideline | KIIP stage 3 (or placement test stage 4) or TOPIK level 3 |
You need one of the two:
- TOPIK level 3 or higher. TOPIK II, at least 120 out of 300 points. A score is valid for two years from the result date. See the TOPIK levels and score table.
- KIIP stage 3 completed — or a placement test result that puts you in stage 4 or higher. See our KIIP guide and the KIIP placement test.
Not sure which to take? Our comparison of TOPIK, KIIP and EPS-TOPIK explains the difference. In short: TOPIK can be faster if you study hard; KIIP takes longer but its certificate also helps later for permanent residence and naturalization.
All F-2-R requirements
The requirements below come from a 2026 provincial recruitment notice that follows the Ministry of Justice guideline (Daegu Metropolitan City, notice 2026-1118, Aug 14, 2026). Each local government publishes its own notice, and some details — especially the income amount and the areas — differ by region.
You must meet all five:
| # | Requirement | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education or income (one of the two) | A Korean associate degree (2-year college) or higher — or annual income at or above the level set in the notice |
| 2 | Residence | Live in the recommended population-decline area |
| 3 | Job or business (one of the two) | A job paying at least the level in the notice, contract of 1 year or more — or a business investment of 200 million won or more |
| 4 | Korean | KIIP stage 3 (placement stage 4) or TOPIK level 3 |
| 5 | Clean record | No disqualifying violation of Korean or foreign law |
Some details from the Daegu notice, as an example of how strict it is:
- Income: in Daegu it is the city's 2026 living wage, 2,510,299 won a month. Only income on which tax was paid counts. Other regions may use a different figure — check your region's notice.
- Graduating soon? Students who will graduate within 6 months can apply with a certificate of expected graduation.
- Job: you must start work within 3 months of applying. Day-labor, temp-agency or dispatch work does not count. You generally cannot change workplaces in the first year.
- Where you live and work: for the first 2 years you must actually live (and normally work) in the recommended area. After 2 years you may move to another population-decline area in the same province. You also pledge to live and work in a population-decline area for 5 years or more.
- Moving in: register your new address on time. Missing the deadline can lead to cancellation of your status.
Who cannot apply for F-2-R
According to the 2026 guideline in the Daegu notice, these visa holders are excluded:
- D-3 (technical training), D-4 (general training, including language students), E-6-2, E-8 (seasonal work), E-9 (non-professional employment), E-10 (crew), G-1, H-1 (working holiday)
- D-10 (job seekers) whose previous visa was one of the above
- People who held F-2-R (or its family visa) in the last 5 years and then changed to another visa or had it cancelled
On an E-9 or E-10 visa? You can't go to F-2-R directly. Your regional route is E-7-4R (regional skilled worker). Holders of E-7-4 can apply for F-2-R after 2 years on E-7-4, and holders of E-7-4R after 3 years if they live in a population-decline area.
Each local government also limits how many people of one nationality it recommends — 30% of its quota. In Daegu's 2026 round, the quota for Vietnamese nationals was already full.
Family
- Your spouse and unmarried minor children can get F-3-1R (regional talent family) status. They must live at the same address, in housing that is not a dormitory.
- If you invite family, a minimum income applies depending on family size (in the 2026 notice: family of up to 4 — your own income requirement is enough; 5 people — 3,627,225 won a month, and more for larger families).
- Your spouse must complete KIIP stage 2 within 2 years of the first visa change; otherwise extensions are limited to 6 months at a time. A spouse can work with permission, at a workplace in the recommended area.
- School-age children must attend school in the area.
How long you can stay
- First change of status: up to 1 year.
- First extension: 1 year; after that up to 2 years at a time.
- If you stop meeting the residence or job conditions, the extension can be refused and the status cancelled.
How to apply, step by step
- Find a region that is recruiting. HiKorea posted a list of links to every province's F-2-R recruitment notice (Oct 7, 2026). Only some districts (population-decline areas) take part, and quotas can fill up early.
- Check the notice's details — income figure, area, deadline.
- Get your Korean requirement ready — a TOPIK level 3 score report or KIIP stage 3 / placement test result.
- Apply to the local government for a recommendation letter. The letter is valid for 3 months from issue.
- Apply for the change of status at your local immigration office (book on HiKorea).
Deadlines for 2026: the Ministry extended the 2026 deadline for local recommendation letters from Sep 30 to Dec 31, 2026, and each region sets its own date within that — Daegu's is Fri, Dec 18, 2026. The 2027 round will be announced by each province; watch HiKorea and your province's website.
If you still need TOPIK level 3
Level 3 needs 120 points out of 300 in TOPIK II (listening, writing and reading together). The next tests in Korea are PBT 110 (Sun, Jan 10, 2027) and IBT 17 (Sat, Feb 20, 2027); results for PBT 110 come out on Feb 4, 2027. The full list is in the TOPIK 2027 schedule, and the registration steps are in how to register for TOPIK in Korea.
Check where you are now: TOPIKly has 67,000 practice questions, including TOPIK II sets that show your estimated level at the end, and KIIP textbook units if you go the KIIP way. AI explanations and writing feedback are part of the Pro plan.
Sources: Daegu Metropolitan City notice 2026-1118 (Aug 14, 2026) and its attached recruitment notice, quoting the Ministry of Justice regional visa guideline revision of Jul 29, 2026 · Ministry of Justice press release (Feb 20, 2025) on the earlier level-4 rule · Gyeongsangnam-do notice 2026-1437 (Sep 14, 2026) on the Dec 31 deadline · HiKorea notice listing provincial F-2-R recruitment notices (Oct 7, 2026). Rules differ by region and can change — always read your region's notice and check with immigration (1345) before applying.