Update, 7 October 2026: the Ministry of Justice has published the council's results. They are plans, and none of them is in force yet. See our post "Korea announces student visa reform plan — none of it is in force yet".
You may hear that Korea's student visa rules are changing. Here is where things stand.
• 20 April 2026: the Ministry of Justice launched a council on the international-student visa system, chaired by the Vice Minister of Justice, with university associations and research institutes. Its principle: "strict checks before entry, flexible management after entry". • 15 July 2026: the 4th working meeting, held with the Presidential Committee on Local Era, analysed about 530,000 students admitted and 150,000 graduates from 2019 to 2025.
Ideas under discussion (Ministry of Justice release): • visas that link studying at a regional university with working and settling in that region • stronger checks of overseas degrees and school records • more visa types for the AI era, including links with online degree programmes and short-term study
Also reported by the press (Money Today, 15 July): changes to the job-seeking visa (D-10) and to how part-time work permits and proof of funds are handled.
Next steps: a final report meeting was planned for September, after which the proposals go to the Foreign Policy Committee.
Important: these are proposals only. The current rules still apply. We will post here as soon as any change is officially confirmed.
Sources: Ministry of Justice press releases, 20 April and 15 July 2026; Money Today, 15 July 2026.