South Korea

What changed

South Korea's Ministry of Justice has announced a significant reorganisation of its visa policy for foreign students. The system is moving away from simply attracting international students to one that supports their development, helps them find jobs, and encourages them to settle in South Korea for the long term. The Ministry released this new strategy on 7 October 2026. It comes after about five months of work by the public-private Foreign Student Visa System Improvement Council, which was set up in April. This strategy has been developed as South Korea anticipates having around 400,000 foreign students.

What changed

The South Korean Ministry of Justice, through the Korea Immigration Service, has improved its system. Foreign nationals who are victims of human rights violations can now apply for residence permits. These violations include domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse, and human trafficking. These applications also include requests to extend a person's stay. People can now submit these at the immigration office or branch office that has authority over the location of their shelter or protective facility. This change fixes problems in the application process that were not previously addressed. It became effective on 4 September 2026.

What changed

South Korea's Hi Korea immigration portal has published an updated list of medical institutions designated by the Ministry of Justice to conduct health examinations for immigration-related purposes, with the new list dated 31 August 2026. The update concerns the designated medical institutions available for the relevant health examinations. It does not, based on the official notice, introduce a new visa requirement or change the general rules determining who must undergo a health examination. The Ministry of Justice also reminds applicants that the examinations and services available differ between medical institutions. Applicants should therefore contact the institution before visiting to confirm that it can provide the specific examination and documents they need. Documents issued by the medical institution must be submitted to the immigration office in sealed condition.

What changed

South Korea's Ministry of Justice announced a complete change to its Regional Specialised Visa Scheme. These changes will start with the '27–'28 project. The plan is to link the scheme more closely with regional industries. It also aims to help foreign talent settle for the long term. Main changes include new visa limits and stricter selection of talent. There will also be better checks and more management duties for local governments. A new visa system will also link education to regional jobs and settlement.

What changed

South Korea has expanded its Top-Tier visa (F-2-T visa subclass). Before, it was only for highly skilled employees in certain high-tech companies. Now, it also covers outstanding professors and researchers in science and technology. The Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Science and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) announced this change on 31 May 2026. It started on 1 June 2026. This change is more than just adding technology sectors. The first Top-Tier visa covered top foreign talent working for companies in eight high-tech industries. The change in June 2026 also created a way for exceptional science and technology professors and researchers. This includes those working at universities, national or public research institutes, and similar organisations. The eight high-tech industries covered by the company route are: * Semiconductors * Artificial Intelligence (AI) * Secondary batteries * Future mobility * Biotechnology * Robotics * Displays * Defence