Korea shifts visa strategy from student recruitment to talent retention
Korea’s universities were once focused purely on filling lecture halls with foreign talent, driving international enrollment from a modest 17,000 two decades ago to more than 350,000 this autumn. But faced with a rapidly shrinking domestic workforce and severe labor shortages across regional industries, the country is confronting a crucial challenge: too many graduates leave as soon as they earn…
Korea's universities have historically prioritized attracting international students, with enrollment increasing from 17,000 two decades ago to over 350,000 this autumn. However, the country now faces a significant challenge: a dwindling domestic workforce and severe labor shortages across various industries. This issue has prompted the Ministry of Justice to announce a major shift in its visa policies, moving away from simple recruitment towards long-term integration.
The new framework seeks to streamline the transition from graduation to full-time employment and residency, while simultaneously addressing visa fraud and illegal employment. Under the revised plan, Korea will introduce flexible job-seeker visas, granting STEM graduates and skilled workers up to three years to find employment, as opposed to the current standard of one to two years.
The government also plans to establish a dedicated K-Tech Master Visa to assist technical master's degree holders.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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