Visa rules for international students to be relaxed in North Chungcheong

North Chungcheong announced Friday that it received a positive response from the Ministry of Justice regarding its request to ease visa regulations for international students.

North Chungcheong Governor Kim Young-hwan details studying in the province to Uzbekistan university officials and students in Tashkent in April. [NORTH CHUNGCHEONG PROVINCIAL OFFICE]

North Chungcheong announced Friday that it received a positive response from the Ministry of Justice regarding its request to ease visa regulations for international students. The ministry has promised to work closely with provinces when creating new visa policies.

The Justice Ministry held a meeting with local governments on Tuesday to discuss policies related to foreign nationals, including North Chungcheong's plans to attract more international students.

During the meeting, North Chungcheong requested that the minimum bank balance requirements for student visas and the TOPIK requirements for student visa holders to work part-time in the manufacturing industry be eased.

These requests align with North Chungcheong's goal to increase its international student population to 10,000 by 2026, up from the current 4,500.

According to the province, the current minimum bank balance requirement for student visas — 16 million won ($11,800) for degree programs and 8 million won for language programs — is too high for students wishing to study in the region.

In response, the Justice Ministry plans to create a new visa policy in the second half of this year, allowing each province to have different visa requirements.

The Justice Ministry will decide on general visa requirements and application procedures, while specific details will be discussed with local governments to tailor visas to each province's needs.

Other provinces, such as North Gyeongsang, will also collaborate with the ministry to create region-specific visas, while North Chungcheong will focus on easing student visa requirements.

Following the new policy, the ministry aims to exempt bank balance requirements for student visa applicants who receive scholarships from the province or other overseas local governments.

Additionally, the TOPIK requirement for student visa holders to work part-time in the manufacturing industry will be eased from level 4 to level 3.

However, the ministry said that North Chungcheong must implement measures to ensure that students' safety and rights to education are not compromised.

"Our continuous efforts to improve policies for international students are bearing fruit," said a spokesperson for North Chungcheong. "We expect these changes to benefit regional provinces amid declining populations and to support local universities."

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]