Authorities in Korea have unfolded plans to facilitate visa requirements for international researchers in a bid to attract a larger number of talents in the field of science.
The decision has been confirmed through a statement provided by the Ministry of Justice, stressing that requirements for D-2-5 and E-3 visas will be eased to further help the development of natural science and technology in this country, VisaGuide.World reports.
In addition, the Ministry said that more schools will be allowed to invite undergraduate students from other countries, stressing that those part of the top 200 of Times Higher Education World University Rankings or in the top 500 of QS World University Rankings will be able to benefit from the visa.
Following the new changes, international researchers without a graduate degree will be permitted to study at several more schools, taking into account Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Sungkyunkwan University and Korea University, based on the recent rankings.
D-2 & E-3 Visa Attracting a Large Number of Internationals
When planning to pursue studies at Korea University, all degree-seeking foreigners are required to obtain a student visa (D-2) visa, before the beginning of the semester.
In order to apply for a student visa in Korea, known as a D-2 visa, several documents are required, among them, the Certificate of Admission (CoA), which will be issued by the International Education Team at Korea University, as well as a proof of Final Academic Credentials and Financial Statement.
At the same time, the E-3 visa, known as a research visa, is dedicated to those invited to Korea in order to engage in the field of natural science or in high technology research and development.
Based on a report from Open Visa Korea, under the student (D-2) visa, a total of 224,660 foreigners came to Korea for a period from January until October 2023, marking a notable increase compared to the figures of the same period in 2022, during which period 103,349 internationals reached the country under the same visa.
The same source reveals that the researcher (E-3) visa, brought into Korea a total of 5,792 people from January until October 2023, marking an increase from 3,476 registered in the same period in 2022.
The statistics from the Open Visa Korea revealed tha for a period from January until October 2023, a total of 9,283,302 internationals entered Korea under different kinds of visas, compared to 2022 statistics during which period the number stood at 2,351,964.