Regarding the “2026 Spring Semester Seoul National University K-STAR Visa Track Outstanding Talent Selection and Recommendation” program currently administered by the Office of Global Affairs, we would like to inform you of the following.
International students who are interested are kindly requested to refer to this announcement when applying.
(Application forms and required documents must be submitted through the applicant’s department.)

1. Overview of Nomination

•Request for nomination of foreign outstanding talents in the field of science and technology who wish to change their status of stay to “Outstanding Talent Residence (F-2-7S)”

•Each department may nominate up to two (2) candidates.

•If no suitable candidates are identified, nomination may be omitted.

(If not submitted by the deadline, it will be regarded as “no nomination.”)

•Final candidates will be selected through the College of Engineering’s internal Outstanding Talent Recommendation Committee review and subsequently recommended to the Office of Global Affairs.

•The final nominees from the College of Engineering will be notified individually in May (subject to change).

2. Eligibility Criteria

■ Mandatory Requirements (both ① and ② must be satisfied)

① Applicants must be in science and engineering-related fields
(Natural sciences / Life sciences / Artificial intelligence / Neuroscience* (within humanities and social sciences), based on the National Science & Technology Standard Classification System)

* Neuroscience within humanities and social sciences is recognized only when it is related to science and technology.

※ Please refer to [Appendix 1] National Science & Technology Standard Classification System

② Applicants must have experience in government-funded research participation or receipt of public research funding (including BK21 program)

■ Eligibility for Application (at least one of the following)

•Master’s degree candidates or those who obtained a Master’s degree within the past 1 year

•Current PhD students or PhD candidates (completed coursework), or those who obtained a PhD within the past 1 year

•Postdoctoral researchers at Seoul National University ※ Applicants who obtained their PhD from other universities are not eligible

※ A recommendation letter from the academic advisor is required (designated form provided)

3. Key Benefits

•Immediate issuance of Residence Visa (F-2-7S) regardless of employment status

•Reduced qualification period for Permanent Residency (F-5-S1) (from 6 years → 3 years)

•Eligibility to apply for Special Naturalization for Outstanding Talent

4. Required Documents

1) [Form 1] Recommendation Letter from Academic Advisor

2) [Form 2] Self-Checklist for Disqualification

3) [Form 3] Application Form (signed by both applicant and advisor)

4) [Form 4] Achievement Record Form + Supporting Documents
※ Applications without supporting documents may not be evaluated for the relevant items

5) Certificate of (expected) degree completion*, enrollment certificate*, or employment certificate (for postdocs) *

* PhD candidates (coursework completed): PhD completion certificate

Integrated Master’s–PhD program students: documents confirming completion of Master’s-level coursework and enrollment in PhD-level coursework

* Applicants who are PhD candidates or integrated program students may be exempt from submitting degree completion (expected) certificates

* Postdoctoral researchers: documents verifying official appointment as a postdoc at SNU

6) Evidence of research achievements and government-funded research participation

ex. A certificate of participation bearing the official seal of the Head of the SNU R&DB Foundation
(can be printed after accessing SRnD)

7) Criminal record certificate from country of origin (if applicable)

Please refer to the attached reference materials to determine whether you are applicable.

If you have stayed in any country outside of Korea for 6 months or more, you must submit a criminal record certificate issued by that country.
This requirement also applies to your country of citizenship (home country).

8) Copy of Alien Registration Card (for visa holders other than D-2)
※ Additional documents may be requested if necessary

5. Submission Deadline and Method

•This is not a direct individual application to the College of Engineering; submissions must be made through the applicant’s department. Therefore, applicants must confirm the submission deadline set by their respective department .

•Submission Method: Department → Official submission to the College of Engineering Administration Office

•Contact: the International Office, College of Engineering
(international.eng@snu.ac.kr)

6. Evaluation Criteria

•Research capability and achievements (publications, patents, research outputs, etc.)

•Potential contribution to domestic industry development and regional economic growth

•Commitment to remain and contribute in Korea (plans for research/employment in Korea, Korean language ability, etc.)

•Research attitude and academic ethics

7. Additional Information

•Incomplete submissions may be excluded from evaluation

•Additional materials may be requested during the review process

8. Inquiries

For inquiries, please contact:

International Office, College of Engineering
Email: international.eng@snu.ac.kr