1 in 9 int’l students in Korea become unauthorized residents: study

International students and members of a volunteer group at Yeungnam University prepare tteokguk (Korean rice cake soup) meal kits at the university’s student center cafeteria in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, Jan. 5. They produced 660 meal kits for underprivileged residents in the area. Yonhap

More than 1 in 9 international students here became unauthorized residents by overstaying their visas or working beyond permitted levels, a recent study found, suggesting a shortcoming in the government’s focus on quantitative growth rather than sustainable integration.

According to a report by Gangneung-Wonju National University associate professor Kim Gyu-chan, 34,267 people who had come to Korea to study at universities or language institutes overstayed their visas or worked beyond permitted levels in 2024. That number was more than five times the figure recorded in 2014 (6,782).

Citing data from the Ministry of Justice, Kim said 9,580 of the students had previously held D-2 student visas, while 24,687 had D-4 language trainee visas. Among those visa holders, the proportion of foreign students who had overstayed their visas or worked beyond permitted levels rose from 7.8 percent in 2014 to 15.7 percent in 2022, before falling slightly to 11.6 percent in 2023 and 2024.

“This suggests that while the overall number of foreign students has grown, the stability and legality of their stays have declined,” Kim wrote.

The study highlights a fundamental flaw in the nation’s approach to foreign students — a systemic disconnect between education, employment and long-term residency. While the government remains aggressive in recruitment, it lacks a sustainable road map to help students transition into the domestic workforce.

“The current framework treats international students as temporary fillers for the labor market rather than as potential long-term residents,” Kim noted, adding that this gap inevitably leads to a rise in undocumented cases.

By nationality, Vietnamese students accounted for the largest share of students overstaying their visas or working without proper permission. Among those on D-2 visas, 69.7 percent were from Vietnam, followed by Uzbekistan at 13 percent, Mongolia at 6.9 percent and China at 3.4 percent. The trend was even more pronounced among D-4 visa holders, where 88.9 percent were Vietnamese.

The share of unauthorized Vietnamese students among former D-2 visa holders surged from 1.51 percent in 2014 to 69.7 percent in 2024, while the proportion among former D-4 visa holders rose from 13.4 percent to 88.9 percent during the same period.

The trend raises concerns that the growing number of language trainees could exacerbate problems if structural issues in recruitment and support remain unaddressed.

The research also highlights a paradox in the D-10 job-seeking and E-7 professional worker visas. Although the government allows D-10 holders to extend their stay, strict limits on economic activity during the job-seeking period often leave them in financial distress.

Foreign students attend job interviews with recruiting companies at the 2025 Job Fair for Foreign Students at BEXCO in Busan, Aug. 19, 2025. Newsis

Moreover, the E-7 visa requirements for skilled foreign professionals, such as minimum wage thresholds that often exceed the average pay at small and medium-sized enterprises, remain a significant barrier, particularly for liberal arts graduates. The study noted that these structural hurdles frequently push students to work without proper visas to make ends meet.

Meanwhile, the education ministry’s Study Korea 300K initiative, announced in 2023, aims to attract 300,000 international students by the end of 2027. The justice ministry’s 4th Basic Plan for Immigration Policy (2023-27) also designates international students as potential skilled workers to be retained in Korea’s labor market.

However, Kim noted that the gap between government policy goals and the reality on the ground remains wide.

The government’s International Education Quality Assurance System has also come under fire for shifting the burden of immigration control onto academic institutions. By using illegal stay rates as a key metric for university accreditation, the system has effectively turned educators into gatekeepers, forcing universities to focus more on monitoring students’ potential illegal employment than on providing quality education or career support, the study found.

“International students should not simply be viewed as temporary substitutes for the declining school-age population or as administrative burdens,” he said. “They must be recognized as future residents and valuable human resources.”

He urged the government to follow examples from countries such as Germany and Japan, which have integrated international student policy into broader national talent and immigration strategies. To this end, Kim proposed creating a unified digital platform that would link data from the justice and education ministries and universities in real-time, while tracking graduates’ career paths to improve policy effectiveness.

Kim also suggested creating career support centers dedicated to international students and offering incentives to universities that partner successfully with local businesses.

“Such steps would enhance students’ employment prospects and help stabilize their postgraduation settlement,” he said.