Universities Face Visa Curbs After Oversight of International Students

South Korea’s Ministry of Education, working with the Ministry of Justice, barred 20 local universities from issuing student visas to foreign nationals for one year, effective from the Fall 2026 semester, after an annual review of how universities manage international students. The action means affected institutions cannot issue the visa invitations or eligibility documents that international students typically need to secure entry permission, forcing many applicants to adjust admissions plans for the next intake cycle.

South Korea’s education ministry said the institutions failed to meet mandatory standards for managing international students, a compliance test that extends beyond classroom delivery and into immigration control. Regulators tied the curbs to patterns that can undermine visa integrity, including high rates of illegal stay among enrolled international students, gaps in the qualifications of language tutors, and low student satisfaction with academic and language programs. Officials treat illegal stay and other non-compliance indicators as signals that a school’s monitoring systems are not working as intended, and they can respond by tightening which institutions may sponsor new international students. Program-quality problems can also draw scrutiny when regulators view them as an oversight failure rather than a purely academic issue, particularly for language tracks that often serve as entry pathways into degree study. South Korea’s move targets two tracks at once: universities offering degree programs and institutions offering Korean language courses, reflecting how oversight concerns can arise in both academic and language-study pipelines. In scope, the one-year bar focuses on recruiting and new visa issuance for incoming international students during the restriction period, rather than broadly closing institutions or canceling all education for those already enrolled. The education ministry classified the schools as “universities requiring strict screening on visa issuance,” effectively pausing their ability to recruit new international students for one year. Among the 20 institutions, 16 are universities offering degree programs and 4 are institutions offering Korean language courses, according to the summary of the enforcement action. Examples of schools cited include Geumgang University, Suwon Catholic University, Joong-Ang Sangha University, and Hyupsung University, names that prospective applicants may see repeated in third-party summaries. Those examples, however, represent only part of the affected list, and applicants checking Korean universities for Fall 2026 planning typically need confirmation from official notices and the school’s international office before assuming their chosen institution can issue the needed paperwork. The Korea Times reported the education ministry action on Feb 12, 2026, in a report published at [The Korea Times, Feb 12, 2026](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr). While South Korea’s announcement focused on universities and visa curbs tied to campus oversight, U.S. agencies have also tightened scrutiny of international students in separate measures that affect visas, entry and benefit processing. Recent reports from the U.S. Department of State indicate that approximately 8,000 student visas have been revoked since the start of the current administration’s second term (January 20, 2025), as part of a “visa-revocation effort” tied to non-compliance and security concerns. A visa revocation affects the entry document in a passport, not the underlying immigration status by itself, meaning a student inside the United States can still face practical risks even if they remain enrolled and otherwise compliant. Travel becomes a central pressure point because a revoked visa can block reentry after an international trip, and it can also shape how future visa applications are assessed at a consulate. In parallel, USCIS has adjusted internal handling for some pending cases through a policy posture it calls “Hold and Review,” a change that can affect processing timelines for student-related benefits. On December 2, 2025, USCIS issued a Policy Memorandum directing a “Hold and Review” of all pending benefit applications, including student extensions and changes of status, for nationals of 39 countries affected by expanded travel restrictions. Those expanded travel restrictions took effect on January 1, 2026, intersecting with benefits adjudication in a way that can add layers of review for applicants from the listed countries even when they file routine student requests. “USCIS is directing additional review of all pending immigration benefit applications for citizens of the designated countries to ensure national security and program integrity.” (USCIS Guidance, Jan 1, 2026). A policy memorandum can shift internal adjudication posture without changing the text of a regulation, but applicants can still experience tangible effects when officers hold cases for additional vetting. When a case is held, applicants can face longer processing times and more scrutiny of documents, and they may receive requests for evidence or notices of intent to deny as officers test whether the record meets eligibility and integrity standards. For international students and exchange visitors, DHS has also advanced a proposed rule to replace “Duration of Status” (D/S) with fixed admission periods, typically four years. Under D/S, many students remain in the United States for as long as they continue a full course of study and maintain the conditions of their status, rather than tracking a fixed end date that drives extension filings. Fixed admission periods would make extensions central for longer programs or delayed completion, shifting more students into formal extension processes that require planning, documentation and potential processing delays. DHS framed the proposal as a way to strengthen oversight, writing that the change aims to “enhance the SEVP’s capacity to oversee the program” and “address fraud and national security concerns” (NPRM, late 2025). The proposal also adds practical burdens for students who need more time, because extension filings require biometrics and updated financial evidence, documentation that can take time to collect and verify. Separately, DHS launched a new initiative in November 2025 to train Designated School Officials at U.S. universities, positioning DSOs as the “first line of defense” against student visa fraud. That training includes techniques aimed at authenticating foreign credentials and identifying “red flag” behaviors such as unverifiable financial statements, areas that can lead to delays or denials if records look inconsistent. DSOs sit at the center of SEVIS-linked processes in the United States, and their routine compliance work can shape how quickly students receive documentation, how schools address anomalies and how concerns get escalated. For legitimate international students, consistency across credentials and funding records can matter as much as the underlying facts, because mismatched documents can trigger follow-up checks that slow down case progress. Applicants also face a separate set of risks at the border and in consular processing, where screening can hinge on whether documents support the same narrative across the school record, visa application and any immigration filings. In South Korea, the immediate question for prospective students is whether their intended institution can sponsor a visa for Fall 2026, because the one-year bar blocks the key step of issuing the paperwork tied to student entry permission. Many prospective students may need to switch institutions, adjust their intake plans, or seek confirmation that their program track is not covered by the restriction, steps that can influence scholarship timelines, housing plans and deposit deadlines. Students who already committed to a barred institution can still ask the school’s international office to confirm the institution’s current classification and provide written guidance on what options exist for the next recruiting cycle. In the United States, heightened enforcement can change how long students wait for decisions and what evidence they may need to provide, particularly when a case falls into “Hold and Review” processing or faces additional security-related checks. Applicants and current students often reduce avoidable delays by keeping copies of filings and school records, responding promptly to requests for evidence, and aligning documentation across school, visa and immigration benefit processes. Travel planning can require added caution when a student’s visa situation is uncertain, because visa revocation affects reentry and may force a student to seek a new visa at a consulate before returning. During periods of enforcement change, routine monitoring of primary government channels can help students and universities verify what rules apply and when guidance updates. DHS posts updates at [DHS News](https://www.dhs.gov/news), while immigration benefit announcements and related guidance appear at the [USCIS Newsroom](https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom). For school-linked compliance notices, ICE provides updates through [ICE SEVP School Alerts](https://www.ice.gov/sevis/school-alerts), a channel that can matter when institutions face scrutiny tied to international student administration.