Government Complex Sejong, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. 2025.10.20 ⓒ News1
The government will significantly lower the threshold for the “K-Tech Pass,” a制度 designed to attract outstanding foreign talent. In addition to quantitative assessments centered on academic background, work experience, and salary, qualitative evaluation methods reflecting technological expertise will be added.
The Tech Pass is a program that provides top-tier domestic talent residence visas (F-2-T) and tax and housing support to outstanding foreign professionals in advanced industries such as semiconductors. Once selected, a candidate can obtain a residence visa online within two weeks. Support measures also include up to 50% reduction of earned income tax for a maximum of 10 years and admission of children to foreign schools.
On the 2nd, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that it will begin operating new tracks of the K-Tech Pass: the “qualitative evaluation type” and the “government scholar-attraction program-linked type.” Previously, only foreigners who had signed employment contracts with domestic high-tech companies and met quantitative requirements such as △ master’s or doctoral degrees from the world’s top 100 engineering schools △ work experience at one of the world’s top 500 companies △ an annual salary at least three times the per capita Gross National Income (GNI), were eligible for Tech Pass benefits.
The newly introduced qualitative evaluation type will combine a quantitative assessment (65 points) and a qualitative assessment (35 points) to comprehensively review technological expertise, job relevance, and other factors. An additional 10 points will be granted to foreign talent hired by small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-sized companies.
The government scholar-attraction program-linked type will also be newly established. Overseas scholars selected under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s top-tier global talent attraction projects or the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s bio scholar-attraction projects will become Tech Pass beneficiaries without separate screening.
Sejong=Jeong Soon-gu
AI-translated with ChatGPT. Provided as is; original Korean text prevails.
ⓒ dongA.com. All rights reserved. Reproduction, redistribution, or use for AI training prohibited.
