In our Spotlight on APAC series, we round up the latest developments across the region. In this post, we dive into the recent expansion of South Korea’s K Star Visa programme.
On September 23, 2025, the Ministry of Justice in South Korea expanded the K-Star Visa Track, previously limited to top science and technology universities to now include around 20 general universities.
Launched in January 2023, the programme is an extension of the Science and Technology Excellence Talent Permanent Residence and Naturalisation Fast Track, designed for international students who have completed a master’s or doctoral degree at one of five leading science and technology institutes.
Through this programme, eligible international students may:
- Obtain an F-2 residence visa without employment requirements
- Apply for an F-5 permanent residence visa after three years, based on research achievements, if eligible
- Pursue special naturalisation through the Nationality Deliberation Committee
Additionally, eligibility criteria for the F-2 and F-5 visas have been simplified. The annual cap for the F-2 visa has increased from 100 to 400, while the residency requirement for the F-5 visa has been reduced from six to three years. As of August 2025, a total of 296 individuals obtained F-2 visas under the K-Star programme.
For more information or assistance regarding the above developments or other global immigration matters, please do not hesitate to contact or Rachel.Ang@magrath.sg or hazimah@magrath.sg.
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