The Ministry of Justice on June 23 announced changes to the student visa system to attract talent from abroad and help international students settle in the country.
The new rules will take effect from July 3.
The currency used in determining financial sufficiency for issuing a student visa will be changed from USD to KRW, with a lower amount required.
Thus the minimum amount needed for a student visa for a degree will be cut to KRW 20 million from USD 20,000 (KRW 26 million) and to KRW 10 million from USD 10,000 (KRW 13 million) for those studying the Korean language.
At provincial universities, the required figure for those wishing to pursue a degree will be cut to KRW 16 million from USD 18,000 (KRW 23 million) and KRW 8 million from USD 10,000 for those studying Korean.
Foreign workers with the non-professional employment (E-9) or vessel crew (E-10) visa can also study in the county while working. The ministry said the revised rules seek to help them develop vocational expertise and qualify for the E-7-4 visa, which is for highly skilled personnel and allow those eligible for simple labor to secure long-term employment based on a points system given for income, work experience, academic background and fluency in Korean.
Overseas students can also prove their ability in Korean not just through the Test of Proficiency in Korean, aka TOPIK, but also through other exams like those of the ministry's Korean Immigration & Integration Program and the Korean-language criteria of King Sejong Institute.
Revision of the hourly-based part-time work system will also offer overseas students more opportunities to explore careers.
The permissible work hours for junior college students or those pursuing a bachelor's degree will be raised from 20 hours per week to 25. Those with excellent academic performance or high Korean proficiency will get five extra hours.
During school vacations, international students can do internships in their fields. They can get the same hands-on opportunities as their Korean counterparts without the need for hourly work permits if they perform legal on-the-job training or engage in the Ministry of Education-prescribed cooperative education system, which allows a college student to apply classroom knowledge to an on-site job.
