South Korea has opened the selection process for its 2027–2028 Metropolitan Visa Program, with a major redesign aimed at connecting foreign students to local jobs and helping skilled workers settle with their families.
The application period began on August 24, 2026, and will continue until November 10 as confirmed by the Ministery of Justice.. However, this first application window is for metropolitan and provincial governments—not for individual foreign students or workers. Local authorities must first submit their plans to the Ministry of Justice. Detailed opportunities for foreign applicants will follow after participating regions and their visa conditions are approved.
The new programme will be smaller and more selective. South Korea plans to reduce the overall quota from 6,790 places during the 2025–2026 pilot period to a maximum of about 3,000 for 2027–2028. At the same time, approved regions will be allowed to design both student and employment routes, create a clearer study-to-work path and permit some spouses to work locally. The formal programme is expected to begin in 2027.
South Korea Metropolitan Visa Changes at a Glance
| Area | 2025–2026 pilot | Planned 2027–2028 programme |
| Programme status | Two-year pilot | Formal programme from 2027 |
| Total quota | 6,790 places | Maximum of about 3,000 places |
| Visas a region may design | Either D-2 study or E-7 employment | Both D-2 study and E-7 employment |
| Student-to-work connection | Limited regional link | Incentives planned for eligible D-2 graduates moving to regional E-7 work |
| Overseas recruitment | Allowed under regional plans | More limited and subject to stronger pre-screening |
| Family employment | Restricted under ordinary rules | Spouses of regional E-7 workers expected to receive local work permission |
What Is South Korea’s Metropolitan Visa Program?
Despite its English name, the Metropolitan Visa Program is not limited to Seoul or other large cities. It is better understood as a regionally designed visa system.
Under the programme, local governments study their labour and education needs and propose special conditions for attracting foreign students or workers. The Ministry of Justice retains responsibility for immigration control and visa approval, while the participating region recommends suitable candidates and helps them settle.
The scheme currently covers two established visa categories:
- the D-2 visa for international students enrolled in regular degree programmes; and
- the E-7 visa for foreign nationals working in specified professional, semi-professional or skilled occupations.
It is not one completely separate visa with a single nationwide eligibility list. Conditions can differ by region because the programme is designed around local universities, industries and workforce shortages.
Study and Work Routes Together
During the pilot period, a participating local government could design either a D-2 student route or an E-7 employment route. Under the redesigned programme, it will be able to propose both.
This is one of the most important changes. It gives a region the chance to recruit an international student for a course linked to a local industry, support that person through education and later connect the graduate with a suitable employer.
An eligible student who completes studies under a regional D-2 arrangement and finds appropriate work in the same area may receive an advantage when changing to a regional E-7 visa. Final transition requirements will depend on the approved regional programme and the immigration rules in force at the time.
The aim is to prevent education and employment policy from operating in isolation. South Korea wants more foreign graduates to use their skills where they studied, instead of leaving the region immediately after graduation.
Reduced Quota
The cut from 6,790 to roughly 3,000 places may appear surprising at a time when many South Korean regions are facing population decline and labour shortages. The government’s explanation is that the programme needs tighter planning rather than simple expansion.
A review of the pilot found broad support for the regional visa model. Businesses, small employers and local officials generally believed it helped to fill workforce gaps. In a Delphi survey of immigration, economic and industrial-policy specialists, 90 per cent agreed that the policy was necessary.
The review also found that the system needed a more accurate connection with genuine local demand. The revised model therefore requires local governments to conduct workforce studies and consult employers, labour representatives and other affected groups before submitting a proposal.
The smaller quota should not be read as the end of the programme. South Korea is moving it from a trial phase to a permanent but more closely controlled system.
Stronger Selection Checks
The 2027–2028 Metropolitan Visa Program will place greater emphasis on people whose ability to live, study or work in South Korea can already be assessed.
Foreign nationals already living in the country—particularly international students with a record of study, language ability and social adjustment—are expected to receive priority. Overseas recruitment will still be possible, but it is likely to be more limited.
Candidates recruited from abroad may need to show Korean-language ability, complete pre-arrival education or pass other screening arranged under the regional plan. Local governments will also be expected to consider a candidate’s skills and genuine intention to remain in the area.
This means that receiving a university place or finding an employer may not, by itself, guarantee access to the regional visa benefit. The candidate must also meet the national immigration rules and the conditions approved for that particular region.
Work Permission for Spouses
The family provision could become one of the most practical parts of the reform. South Korea plans to allow spouses of workers holding a regional E-7 visa to take employment within the same region. The precise conditions have not yet been published, but the proposal addresses a longstanding difficulty for migrant families: one spouse may have a valid job while the other has limited access to work.
Allowing both adults to participate in the local economy could make long-term settlement more realistic. It may also help smaller cities retain workers who would otherwise move to a larger employment centre or leave South Korea.
Local governments will be expected to provide wider settlement support for workers, students and accompanying family members. This may include social-integration assistance and help with daily life, although services will vary between participating areas.
Who Can Apply Now?
The current deadline of November 10, 2026, applies to regional governments seeking approval to operate a Metropolitan Visa Program during 2027 and 2028.
Foreign nationals cannot yet use this announcement as a general invitation to submit an individual visa application. Before that can happen, several matters must become clear:
- which regional governments are selected;
- which universities, employers and industries take part;
- how the quota is divided between regions;
- what language, education, experience and income conditions apply; and
- when each region opens its own recommendation or recruitment process.
Students and workers interested in the programme should monitor announcements from the South Korean Ministry of Justice, the relevant immigration office, participating local governments, universities and employers. They should be cautious about any agent promising a guaranteed regional visa before the official eligibility rules are published.
What Prospective Applicants Should Prepare
Although the final regional conditions are still pending, interested applicants can begin preparing the documents normally required to prove their background. These may include academic records, evidence of relevant work experience, Korean-language results and valid identity documents.
International students should look for degree programmes connected with industries that a participating region is trying to develop. Workers should check whether their occupation can fall within an eligible E-7 category and whether a genuine employer is willing to support the process.
Applicants already in South Korea should also keep a clear record of lawful residence, study performance, employment and participation in language or integration programmes. Such evidence may become increasingly valuable under the new selection model.
Programme with a Longer-Term Purpose
South Korea’s Metropolitan Visa Program is moving in two directions at once. The quota is becoming smaller, but the route itself is becoming more complete.
The government is no longer looking only at how a foreign national enters the country. It is trying to connect education, employment, family life and regional settlement in one system. That may create stronger opportunities for the right candidates, but it will also bring closer screening and greater competition.
For now, the August 24 opening marks the start of the regional selection process. The real application stage for foreign students and workers will begin only after South Korea confirms the participating regions and publishes their detailed rules.