20 universities slapped with visa curbs over poor oversight of international students

Twenty local universities will be barred from issuing student visas to foreign nationals for one year beginning this fall semester after failing to meet mandatory standards for managing international students, the Ministry of Education said Thursday.

The designation follows the government's annual review of universities' oversight and support systems for foreign students.

According to the ministry, 16 universities offering degree programs and four institutions operating Korean language courses have been classified as "universities requiring strict screening on visa issuance." This means that except under extraordinary circumstances, they will not be permitted to issue student visas for one year.

Institutions facing such restrictions include Geumgang University, Suwon Catholic University, Joong-Ang Sangha University and Hyupsung University.

Amid a steady rise in the number of foreign students in Korea, the education and justice ministries have jointly conducted annual evaluations since 2012 to assess universities' internationalization capacity and their management of foreign student programs.

According to the education ministry, the number of international students in Korea reached 253,000 in 2024, up 21 percent from 209,000 the previous year.

Universities that fall short of standards — including in areas such as qualification of Korean language tutors, illegal stay rates among foreign students and student satisfaction with Korean language courses — face sanctions, including restrictions on student visa issuance.

In the annual review, the government designated 181 universities as "accredited universities," up from 158 last year.

Accredited universities receive simplified visa screening procedures for foreign students and preferential consideration when being selected to host recipients of the state-run Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) program. They are also given priority in participating in overseas study fairs to attract international students.

The ministry attributed the increase in accredited universities to growing demand among institutions to recruit foreign students, as well as streamlined and more rationalized indicators introduced in the latest evaluation cycle.

Beginning this year, the government said it revised the system to reduce administrative burdens on universities during the assessment process. It has strengthened sanctions against institutions found to have inadequately managed international students in areas such as admissions screening and career support.

Detailed information on accredited universities are available on the official websites of Study in Korea and the National Research Foundation.