Incheon City has been selected for the Ministry of Justice's "Metropolitan Visa Pilot Project" and will work to improve the visa system for international students at Incheon Global Campus.
The Metropolitan Visa Pilot Project is a system in which metropolitan governments design visa requirements reflecting regional characteristics and recommend eligible candidates, after which the Ministry of Justice reviews and issues the visas.
Starting in the second half of this year and continuing for two years until next year, Incheon City plans to improve the student visa (D-2) system for international students at the domestic campuses of foreign universities located in Songdo International City’s Incheon Global Campus. The program targets five universities?State University of New York Korea (including Stony Brook University and Fashion Institute of Technology), George Mason University Korea, Ghent University Global Campus, and University of Utah Asia Campus?with a goal of attracting 60 international students.
The main improvements include extending the maximum period of stay for student visas from the current one year to two years, and allowing professional field internships during the semester for students who meet certain requirements, such as Korean language proficiency or academic performance.
Currently, the maximum period of stay for international students is two years for certified domestic universities, but only one year for others. As a result, international students at foreign universities located in Songdo Global Campus have faced the inconvenience of having to renew their visas annually. With the extension of the period of stay through this initiative, the city expects to attract more outstanding international students.
Additionally, the requirements for professional field internships, which were previously permitted only during vacation periods, have been relaxed under this pilot project. Students who have completed at least level 4 of the Social Integration Program or achieved level 4 or higher on the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), and who have a grade point average of B or higher in the previous semester as of the application date, are eligible. For associate degree students, at least three semesters must be completed; for bachelor’s degree students, at least three years must be completed before participating in professional field internships. There are no restrictions for master’s or doctoral students.
The Ministry of Justice evaluates the Metropolitan Visa Pilot Project annually, and the results are reflected in the following year's project plan. The city plans to analyze performance based on factors such as quota fulfillment rate and illegal stay rate, and will determine whether to adjust visa quotas and continue the project accordingly.
An Incheon City official stated, "Through this project, we will improve the visa system for international students at foreign educational institutions and do our utmost to help Incheon become a global hub city for education and research by attracting global talent."
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