- South Korea proposed a D-2-8 Gap Year Student visa for eligible students from OECD countries to explore study and work before university.
- Applicants with TOPIK Level 4 or equivalent may qualify for a waiver of separate proof of tuition and living expenses.
- The plan would extend post-graduation job searches to one to three years and create more routes to skilled-work and resident visas.
South Korea’s Ministry of Justice announced a planned overhaul of international-student visas on October 7, 2026, including a proposed gap-year route for students from OECD member countries. The package would also ease some financial-document requirements while tightening the link between student status, study and work. It is a plan, not an across-the-board rule change.
Measures the ministry can adopt on its own are scheduled to start in the second half of 2026. Proposals that require other ministries will go through interagency discussions. That leaves parts of the overhaul on separate tracks.
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The new “Gap Year Student” visa is still under consideration. Tentatively designated D-2-8, it would let eligible students explore academic programs, careers and employment opportunities in Korea before enrolling at a university.
The proposed track would be limited to students from OECD member countries. It offers an exploratory period before formal university entry, rather than a replacement for student enrollment.
Language credentials could replace separate proof of student funds
Applicants with TOPIK Level 4 or higher, or Level 4 of the Korea Immigration and Integration Program, would not have to submit separate proof of funds for tuition and living expenses under the proposed waiver. The qualification could change what some applicants need to provide. It would not cover every student.
The plan also allows for a different requirement in higher-risk cases. Applicants from countries considered more prone to illegal stays or unauthorized employment could be asked to place their study and living expenses in a designated deposit for a specified period. The policy would distinguish between applicants by risk category.
Work approvals will put more weight on Korean ability and academic credits
The government plans to judge students’ part-time-work eligibility mainly by Korean proficiency and academic credits. When a university confirms a student’s part-time job, fewer additional documents would be required. Korean ability would become a condition of approval.
Students and universities would get a one-year grace period to prepare for that requirement. The adjustment gives institutions time to ready their processes. The proposal also removes visa-related advantages for weekend, evening and online courses that allow students to focus on employment rather than study, including programs with international-education certification.
The plan lengthens job searches and opens skilled-work routes
After graduation, the D-10 job-seeking period would range from one to three years. The length would depend on factors including job readiness and Korean-language ability. The government also intends to make it easier for science, engineering and other specialized graduates to move to the E-7 skilled-worker visa.
The ministry separately plans to promote transitions from student status to E-7 skilled-worker and F-2 resident visas. STEM graduates and people with professional master’s degrees are particular targets. A separate route for science, engineering and specialized technical talent is also planned, including qualified graduates taking jobs in manufacturing and other strategic sectors.
These pathways put job search and employment conversion alongside the proposed student-stage changes. They also connect the visa overhaul to the government’s stated aim of keeping skilled graduates in Korea. The proposals remain subject to implementation.
A larger international-student population is shifting the policy goal
South Korea counted 307,464 international students in 2026, one year before the 2027 deadline for its former “Study Korea 300K Project” target. The government is now turning from enrollment growth toward student quality, employment outcomes and long-term settlement. The visa proposals form part of that shift.
The government’s next steps extend into university recruitment and oversight. The Ministry of Education plans to increase the science-and-engineering share of Global Korea Scholarship recipients from 40.9% in 2025 to 43% in 2026, with a 45% target in 2027. Those targets change the scholarship mix as the country pursues more graduates in technical fields.
From 2029, a university that fails institutional accreditation, or is classified as being in a management crisis for two consecutive years, may be placed in the lowest category of the International Education Quality Assurance System. Institutions in that category could face limits on recruiting new international students and, in practice, on new student-visa issuance.
The government also plans to establish five regional International Student Visa and Stay Support Centers and amend the Immigration Control Act to formalize systems governing international students. Those measures sit alongside the visa changes and the education system’s planned recruitment and accreditation rules.
