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Regional visas to allow international students longer internship opportunities

Published: 22 Jul. 2025, 17:51 Updated: 22 Jul. 2025, 17:53

LEE TAE-HEE
[email protected]

An attendee looks at available positions at the Job Fair for International Students on May 19. [YONHAP]

It isn't easy for international students to do internships, with summer and winter vacations being the only windows of opportunity due to administrative barriers.

Not only are those on the D-2 student visa restricted to short internships within these time frames, but the internships themselves must be in fields permitted by the E-1 to E-7 work visas, such as engineering, marketing or sales.

However, some cities and provinces are helping international students gain career experience by allowing internships during the semester through a special regional visa system.

The government announced in April that it will trial run the regional visa program in 14 cities and provinces until 2026, allowing regional governments to tailor specifics of the E-7 work visa or D-2 student visa to fit regional labor and industry needs. Among the 14 cities and provinces, five will be making small changes to the D-2 student visa to allow international students to do internships during the semester.

Seoul will allow select students enrolled in STEM programs at eight universities — Kookmin University, aSSIST University, Seoul National University, the University of Seoul, Seoul Women's University, Sungshin Women's University, Sejong University and Chung-Ang University — to take up to two semesters off to do internships.

Under current policy, international students taking semesters off must leave the country within 30 days. But those with Seoul's regional visa will be given a special exemption and be able to stay as interns.

However, not everyone with the regional visa is granted the exemption. A leave of absence for internships is only allowed after completing at least three semesters for those enrolled in associate degree programs and three years for bachelor's students. However, master's and doctorate students aren't subject to such restrictions.

A GPA of 3.0 or higher in the previous semester is also required, with master's and doctorate students being exempt for their first semester. Students need either a level 4 or higher in Topik or the Korea Immigration & Integration Program (KIIP), with students from English-speaking countries or with sufficient English language test scores exempt from the requirement.

With the special regional visa program implemented in April, students enrolling at Seoul's eight universities in the upcoming fall semester are eligible for the visa.

Kim Seok-woo, then-vice minister of justice, announces that the government will trial the regional visa during a press conference on April 2. [YONHAP]

Rather than having students go through an additional application process for Seoul's regional visa, each university will choose and recommend eligible students to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Seoul will then select students from the batch to issue a recommendation letter under the mayor's name, with the Ministry of Justice conducting a final review to issue the visa.

Seoul's regional visa will also allow scholarship students to take semesters off for internships.

For example, the government's Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) guidelines state that students are not permitted to take a semester off except in unavoidable circumstances, such as emergencies requiring a return to one's home country, urgent matters involving immediate family members or a serious personal illness. However, a Seoul spokesperson said that regional visa holders will be allowed semesters off for internships even while on the GKS.

In addition to lifting restrictions on international students, Seoul will also provide career training and internship opportunities to visa recipients.

In Incheon, visa recipients will be allowed to intern over the semester but not while taking a semester off.

The city's regional visa is open to international students enrolled at the five universities that are part of the Incheon Global Campus: SUNY Korea, the Fashion Institute of Technology at SUNY Korea, George Mason Korea, Ghent University Global Campus and Utah University Asia Campus. As in Seoul, the visa will be issued to students enrolling this fall.

Students pose for a photo in front of the SUNY Korea campus buildings in Yeonsu District, Incheon, also known as the Incheon Global Campus. [INCHEON GLOBAL CAMPUS]

Both undergraduate and graduate students of the five chosen universities are eligible regardless of major. But students must have a level of 4 or higher in either Topik or KIIP, and a GPA of 3.0 or above for the previous semester, in order to do an internship. Bachelor's students can intern after finishing their third year, while master's students are not subject to the enrollment period requirement or the GPA requirement for their first semester.

Incheon also has a limited number of visas available: only 60 until the end of 2026. A city spokesperson said that discussions with universities were ongoing, in which the universities expressed a desire for a bigger allotment of visas.

North Jeolla, Busan and Gangwon will also allow international students enrolled at select universities and programs to intern during the semester, with GPA, enrollment period and Korean language requirements being identical to Incheon's.

North Jeolla will be working with 13 universities in the province, offering its regional visa to international students enrolled in green energy, advanced materials, ICT, life science and health programs. The 13 universities are: Kunsan National University, Kunjang University, Yewon Arts University, Woosuk University, Wonkwang University, Wonkwang Health Science University, Jeonbuk Science College, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju University, Jeonju Kijeon College, Vision College of Jeonju, Hanil University and Howon University.

The province has a large allotment of 670 visas until 2026.

Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon meets with officials from 14 universities that will run the regional visa program with the city on May 21. [BUSAN METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Busan has an allotment of 1,000 regional visas, which will be issued to students enrolling in semiconductor, secondary battery and auto parts programs at 14 universities. The 14 universities are: Kyungnam College of Information & Technology, Kyungsung University, Pukyong National University, National Korea Maritime & Ocean University, Tongmyong University, Dongseo University, Dong-A University, the Dong-Eui Institute of Technology, Dong-Eui University, the Busan Institute of Science and Technology, Pusan National University, Busan University of Foreign Studies, Silla University and Youngsan University.

Gangwon will issue the visa to students enrolling in semiconductor, biohealth, future mobility, future energy, food tech, ICT and tourism-related programs at 12 universities, with a cap of 770 visas until 2026. Gangwon's 12 universities are: Catholic Kwandong University, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Kangwon National University, Gangwon State University, Kyungdong University, Sangji University, Saekyung University, Songho University, Yonsei University Mirae Campus, Hallym University, Halla University and Hallym Polytechnic University.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [[email protected]]