The government of South Korea has introduced new measures aimed at facilitating international students.
As part of the measures which will be effective from July 3, the authorities have increased the working hour cap for international students.
As per the recent policies disclosed by the Ministry of Justice, undergraduate and associate degree-seeking international students will experience a change in their weekly working hours, with the current cap of 20 hours being increased to 25 hours. Those who are enrolled outside of major cities will be allowed to work up to 30 hours per week.
“We intend to improve the foreign student system to support the increase in foreign students while also contributing to the social adjustment of foreign students,” stated the Ministry of Justice in a statement.
Furthermore, students who demonstrate a high degree of proficiency in the Korean language will be allowed to work extra hours per week.
In addition, the ministry has announced adjustments to the student visa application process. International students will now need less money for their student visas, and visa payments will be calculated in the local currency, the South Korean Won, rather than US dollars.
These changes reflect a drastic change in Korean policy towards a more open immigration policy aimed at attracting greater numbers of skilled foreign graduates.
According to estimates, South Korean higher education institutions had a record flood of almost 167,000 international students last year, the biggest since 2013 when approximately 86,000 international students enrolled for academic degrees.
