South Korea will allow foreign scientists to obtain an electronic visa without having to submit documents and visit the country for up to 90 days to take part in projects carried out by South Korean state-run research institutes, government officials said Thursday. (Image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 19 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea will allow foreign scientists to obtain an electronic visa without having to submit documents and visit the country for up to 90 days to take part in projects carried out by South Korean state-run research institutes, government officials said Thursday.
The measure will help foreign talent obtain visas more conveniently, boosting the country’s ability to acquire high quality manpower, they said. The measure, which goes into effect this month, is also timed for the third anniversary of the ministry’s electronic visa center on Sunday.
Starting in the second half of the year, the justice ministry is also planning to issue electronic employment letters of recommendation from central administrative organs that South Korean universities, private research institutes and companies need to invite foreigners to the country, eliminating the need of visiting such organs in person.
According to the ministry, the electronic visa center issued 1.1 million electronic visas and took care of 190,000 online petitions filed by foreign residents here over the past two years.
Among the 1.1 million electronic visas were 1.09 million cases relating to foreigners who visited the country on group tours. About 10,000 electronic visas issued to individual visitors included 5,161 ones for tourists who visited the country for medical treatment and 956 ones for businesspeople.
(Yonhap)
