List of universities subject to study visa restrictions for 2026 announced… Even successful applicants may be unable to enter the country

A list of universities for which the issuance of visas to foreign students will be completely restricted from the 2026 academic year has been released, prompting alarm among prospective students. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Justice have announced they will identify universities with an inadequate capacity to manage international students and impose the severe sanction of complete restriction of visa issuance by designating them as 'visa issuance restricted universities'.

The measure aims to remove universities whose rate of illegal overstaying exceeds the threshold or whose academic management and support infrastructure for international students are inadequate. Although the government has conducted an annual 'Investigation into the Recruitment and Management of International Students', from 2026 it plans to tighten evaluation criteria and impose harsher penalties to decisively remove and crack down on deficient universities.

The biggest problem is that even if an applicant is accepted by a university designated as a 'visa issuance restricted university', the issuance of a student visa (D-2) and a Korean-language training visa (D-4) will, in practice, be refused. As this can cause irreversible losses of time and money for prospective international students, it is essential to thoroughly check the status of a target university before submitting an application.

Education experts recommend cross-checking via the university admissions office website and official Ministry of Education announcements whether the university you intend to apply to is recognised as an excellent institution for recruiting and managing international students or is included on the list of universities subject to visa restrictions. Even if procedures are handled through agencies such as study-abroad agencies or consultancies, applicants should personally verify that the information provided is up to date to avoid problems or losses.

A government official emphasised, "This measure is an unavoidable decision to improve the overall quality of studying in Korea and to protect the learning rights of genuine international students." Applicants planning to study in Korea should prioritise a university's practical capacity to manage international students and the likelihood of visa issuance over mere institutional reputation when drawing up study plans.