2026 Policy for International Students: Which Measures Are in Effect and Which Plans Still Need Follow-up Notices?

As of August 31, 2026, international students can immediately use the results of the international education quality assurance certification review, the status of universities subject to enhanced visa screening, the final results for the 2026 GKS graduate program, and the notice on the invitation-letter schedule. The Ministry of Justice’s 2026 Foreigners Policy Implementation Plan also lists education, management, and employment-support tasks for this year. For measures that still need individual eligibility criteria, such as a new employment-focused visa for international students and additional designation of root-industry training universities, check follow-up detailed notices for eligibility, schedules, and required documents.

Information needed for university choice and scholarship and employment preparation can be read in three categories. Apply already announced results to current procedures, connect the 2026 implementation plan to program notices from the responsible agencies, and for measures requiring follow-up detailed notices, check announcements that specify eligibility, schedules, and required documents.

A quick map of 2026 international-student policy

The 2026 implementation plan is the annual map of international-student policy

The Ministry of Justice’s Korea Immigration Service released the 2026 Foreigners Policy Implementation Plan (Central Administrative Agencies) on April 17, 2026. The responsible division is the Foreigners Policy Division, and the material was provided under Korea Open Government License Type 4. Detailed tasks can be checked in the accompanying implementation plan PDF.

The implementation plan is a document that brings together the policy directions, assigned tasks, and budgets that central administrative agencies will pursue over the year. The Ministry of Education section presents 9 tasks for 2026 and a budget of KRW 152,158 million, with the direction “Expand recruitment of excellent international students and support their settlement.” This budget is the planned scale for carrying out Ministry of Education-related tasks; execution by task and individual selection are determined through each program’s procedures.

For international students, the implementation plan is a starting point for identifying areas of interest. Continue from there to university admissions guidelines for schools and programs, program-specific selection notices for scholarships, immigration guidance for status of stay and permitted employment, and operating notices from organizers for event participation.

Choosing a university: check certified universities and enhanced visa-screening universities by program

Before the implementation plan was released, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Justice announced the results of the 2025 international education quality assurance certification review and survey on international-student recruitment and management on February 12, 2026. There are 181 certified universities, while 16 universities are subject to enhanced visa screening for degree programs and 4 for Korean-language training programs.

The certification period runs from March 2026 through February 2030. Certified universities are monitored every year, and certification may be revoked if the standards are not met, so applicants should check the latest status at the time they apply. Certified universities receive advantages in visa screening and in selection as host universities for the government scholarship program GKS. These advantages do not guarantee visa issuance to an individual successful applicant; admission, financial, and stay-related materials are considered separately in each student’s individual review.

According to the official announcement, visa issuance for universities subject to enhanced screening is restricted for 1 year starting in Semester 2 of 2026. When choosing a university, do not look only at the university name: first distinguish whether the program you are applying to is a degree program or a Korean-language training program, then check whether that program is included in the announced list. At the time of application, compare the latest announcements from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Justice with the university’s current admissions guidelines rather than relying on an older saved list.

GKS: check annual selection numbers and individual results in separate documents

The 2026 implementation plan includes a task to select and manage 2,480 GKS scholars. Of these, 1,900 are for long-term degree programs and 580 for short-term exchange students. These figures are the annual program scale; each applicant’s result is confirmed through the selection process and result notice for the relevant program.

Study in Korea announced the final results for the 2026 GKS graduate program on July 1, 2026, and instructed successful applicants to follow separate guidance. On July 10, it then posted a notice of delay in the 2026 GKS graduate invitation-letter issuance schedule.

Applicants should match the program they applied to—long-term degree, short-term exchange, or graduate program—with the corresponding result notice. Final successful applicants can manage the remaining steps in order: the result notice, separate guidance from the university or responsible organization, the invitation-letter issuance schedule, and visa and entry preparation.

Education and management tasks run from recruitment through study, adjustment, and employment

The Ministry of Education’s major 2026 tasks include operating the Study in Korea integrated system, holding the 2026 international-student job fair, running the 2026 international education quality assurance certification system and the survey on international-student recruitment and management, selecting and managing GKS scholars, operating an international-student counseling center, and supporting education in the Korean language and Korean culture. The international-student job fair is listed as a joint initiative with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Prospective students can use the Study in Korea integrated system and university-management information when choosing a school. Current students can check operating notices for the counseling center and Korean-language and Korean-culture education, while prospective graduates can review eligibility and participating-company information in job-fair notices. Because the 2026 certification system and survey concern the next round of review and management activities, distinguish the 2025 review results from later results based on their announcement dates.

The actual conditions for using job fairs and education-support programs are set out in operating notices. By checking the event date, location, participating universities and companies, application period, eligible participants, operating organization and application method, as well as the education program and scope of cost support, students can turn a policy plan into a personal schedule.

For employment and settlement, prepare around eligibility and schedules in follow-up notices

The overall implementation plan includes job fairs and regional counseling sessions connecting international students with local companies, creation of an employment-focused visa for international students, additional designation of root-industry training universities, and programs that verify the skills of graduates or prospective graduates and link them to employment. The policy direction extends from recruiting international students to employment and local settlement after study.

For the employment-focused visa, check follow-up laws, guidelines, and notices for eligible applicants, recognized degrees and majors, permitted industries and company conditions, the effective date and application filing date, change-of-status procedures, required documents, and review criteria. Do not treat it as an automatic change from a current status of stay; check whether the follow-up guidance includes a change-of-status route that applies to you.

For the additional designation of root-industry training universities, check the scope of eligible applicants after the officially designated universities and departments are announced, and base your judgment on the government’s official designation results rather than university promotional wording. For skills-verification employment linkage, the key items to check are participation eligibility, verification methods, how graduation status and major apply, and employment conditions. Job fairs and regional counseling sessions are procedures for registering and meeting companies; the status-of-stay review required for actual employment is conducted separately.

Action table for universities, GKS, employment, and settlement

Official channels to check

• For the annual direction of foreign policy and tasks by central administrative agency, check the Ministry of Justice Korea Immigration Service’s 2026 Foreigners Policy Implementation Plan post and implementation plan PDF.
• For university certification and enhanced visa-screening results, check the Ministry of Education’s announcement of the international education quality assurance certification universities and results of the international-student recruitment and management survey.
• For GKS recruitment, results, invitation letters, and schedule changes, check Study in Korea notices. For the 2026 graduate program, the July 1 final result notice and the July 10 notice of a change to the invitation-letter issuance schedule were posted separately.
• For new visas, status of stay, permitted employment scope, and required application documents, check follow-up notices from the Ministry of Justice Korea Immigration Service. If individual applicability is unclear, contact the 1345 Immigration Contact Center.

For 2026, materials that can already be used for university choice and GKS preparation have been released. For the employment-focused visa, additional designation of root-industry training universities, job fairs, and counseling sessions, follow the direction in the implementation plan and then check the follow-up notices. The quickest way to use the annual plan is to identify the task relevant to you and connect the responsible agency’s actual notice with your program, schedule, and required documents.