What are the types of Korean study visas? How to quickly apply for a Korean study visa?

Students going to South Korea to study, in addition to regular professional studies, language training and short-term study abroad, all need a qualified visa. Let’s take a look at what types of visas are available for studying in South Korea?

Visa type

C-3 visa

The C3 visa is a comprehensive short-term visa within 90 days, which is suitable for visiting friends, inspections, tourism, short-term study, etc. Belongs to this type of visa. Applicants who want to study Korean in a Korean university preparatory class or language education institute can apply for a C3 visa (Tourist Visa or General Short-term Visa).

If you plan to study at a language education institute for one semester (3 months per semester), you can apply to the Korean Embassy for a C3 short-term language study visa with a stay period of three months, and you can obtain the visa directly.

If students holding a C3 visa have an attendance rate of 80% or more during their studies, they can go to the Korean Immigration and Exit Administration Office to exchange for a D4 visa for long-term language training.

When students extend their visa, they must hold a certificate of enrollment, attendance sheet, transcript, and bank deposit certificate of more than 2 million won issued by the school. If the attendance rate does not reach 80% or the average academic score is lower than 70%, the visa extension will not be granted.

D-4 language training visa

If you study at a language education institute for more than 6 months, you need to apply for a D4 language training visa. It is usually extended once every six months, and the maximum time limit is two Year. It takes about one month to apply for a D4 visa through the Korean Ministry of Justice and obtain the visa. Students holding D4 visas will not receive a visa extension if they are absent for more than two weeks during classes. After students finish their language studies and enter undergraduate studies, their D4 visa can be converted into a D2 visa.

D-2 student visa

If applicants want to study at a Korean university, they need to apply for a one-year D2 student visa (Student Visa) from the Korean Ministry of Justice. D2 visas can be extended in South Korea, and each extension is for one year.

The C3 visa is the simplest. This type of visa has a short application period and a high success rate. It is recommended that you apply for this type of visa if you apply for a university in the Seoul area.

Applying for a D4 visa is more complicated. Applying for a D4 visa from a school in the Seoul area generally encounters the problem of a financial guarantor. However, even if some schools can provide guarantees for students, since this year, the visa is as low as 20-30. Rate has always been a lingering shadow hanging over students hoping to go to schools in the Seoul area. When applying to local universities, schools usually apply for D4 visas for students.

The information required by the school is not complicated. The only disadvantage is that the visa success rate is not very high, generally between 60-80. Some schools also directly apply for D2 study visas for students. The school calls this approach "conditional admission." This type of visa has a higher success rate, but its disadvantages are that it takes a long time to apply, requires a lot of information, and generally cannot be easily transferred to another school.

The most scientific method of learning is to first study the language for one to one and a half years (preparatory study), and then students can choose a university that suits them based on their actual situation. Due to the solid language foundation, there will be no major obstacles in learning professional courses. Generally, students will adapt to undergraduate studies within 2-3 months.

How to deal with visa rejection

1. Financial aid issues. Financial aid is the most important issue when applying for a visa to South Korea. Whether you can provide proof of sufficient financial support from normal sources is the key to getting a visa.

2. Improper interview response. For visa applications submitted to the Korean Embassy by the Ministry of Education's Overseas Study Service Center, the visa officer will select individual applicants for interviews based on the circumstances, and decide whether to issue a visa based on the results of the interview. If the applicant's answer cannot satisfy the visa officer or his oral expression is poor, he or she may easily be refused a visa.

3. The invitation date has expired.

This problem is generally reflected in the IAP-66 form. If the start date of this form is more than one and a half months after the application date, then the invitation period has expired. If you still use this IAP-66 form to apply, you will face the risk of being refused. At this time You need to ask the other party to resend the IAP-66 form or invitation letter, indicating the new invitation date and period.

4. The visa application form is filled out improperly. Some applicants are not careful enough when filling out the form and make some mistakes, which may lead to visa rejection. Especially for the column of whether they have ever been to South Korea, many applicants have visited South Korea for a short period of time for inspection. If they cannot reflect this when filling out the form, the Korean embassy or consulate will treat them as dishonest and refuse to issue visas to them.

5. Age and marital status. When younger and unmarried people apply for a visa, they have a higher chance of being interviewed. Visa officers usually think that they are prone to immigration, so their review is relatively strict. Therefore, such people should be mentally prepared accordingly.

6. Those who have experienced visa rejection. For those who have applied for various types of visas to South Korea for work or private reasons and were rejected, they are generally likely to be rejected if they apply for a visiting scholar visa to South Korea as a state official or an employer. When such people reapply, they must truthfully reflect the actual circumstances of their previous rejection. If you conceal the facts and are found out by the Korean embassy or consulate, the consequences will be very serious. Not only will the visa not be issued, but it will also cause great harm to future visa applications to South Korea