South Korea Student Visa - Definitive Guide

Whenever a student is willing to study abroad, there are certain things that they require to fulfil in order to be able to acquire education. The permit acquired for this purpose is what is known as a student visa. A student visa to South Korea is issued at the time when the applicant is looking forward to pursuing a course from South Korea. There are several other benefits to this visa as well. It is also classified into different types as per the type of the program. There are short term and long term student visa and the validity will differ as per the type too.

The types of student visa to South Korea are basically differentiated as per the type of training or course that is to be pursued. They can be categorized as follows:

• D1 - It is the type of visa that is issued to the candidates who are interested in cultural arts. The validity of this visa will differ as per the span of the course or training.
• D2 - This is the visa that is provided to the students who are looking forward to enrolling for long term courses like junior college, university, bachelors, masters, or entering a PhD programme. The validity of this visa type is 2 years and can be extended as per the enrollment year.
• D3 - It is the type that allows the holder candidate to acquire industrial training in South Korea. This is generally a short term type but can be extended as per the requirement of the training course.

D4 - This is issued at the time when the applicant is willing to procure general training that involves a qualified educational institute, except for any academic research institutes.

In order to get your student visa issued, you need to first know the eligibility criteria for the same. There are certain procedures and parameters that you need to follow in order to be eligible to apply for the visa. The process for the visa application is mainly offline. The detailed process is given as follows:

1. Download the South Korea student visa application form from the official website of the visa application centre.
2. Fill out all the required information on the form and go through the checklist provided.
3. Fulfil all the requirements that are asked by the authorities.
4. Attach all the supporting documents along with the photographs as per the specifications.
5. Submit the application form to your nearest branch of the visa application centre.
6. Pay the fee at the time of submission.
7. Collect your passport and work permit after the processing of the visa.

When you are filling out the form, you must make sure that you fill out all the correct information. The information provided must match the details on the passport and other documents. If in case, any issues are found with the application, there are chances that your visa may get refused. A visa refusal can affect applications for your further visa for South Korea or any other country. To avoid the same, it is safe to acquire a professional visa consultation.

Given the classifications of a student visa to South Korea, there are different parameters that will help understand the requirements of the visa. Some of the most important ones are given as follows:

• You must have sufficient funds
• You must possess or have access to sufficient funds to be able to cover your stay and other expenses in South Korea.
• Bank statement or any equivalent document is to be submitted as well as proof of the same.
• If you have a sponsor, evidence of their financial stability must be made available and should be sufficient to support your education.
• The guarantor documents should also be legitimate and submitted at the time of application.
• The visa application must be submitted considering the time required for the processing and the beginning of your academic year.
• You must have confirmed admission in South Korea

• The first application with the transcripts and other documents must be made to the Korea Universities Admission Centre (KUAC).
• The candidate must pass the interview conducted by the KUAC.
• Rest of the documents must be submitted for the final admission process.
• Admission of the candidate must be confirmed in the educational institute in South Korea.
• The documents must be completed and the CCVI must be applied for in time.
• The educational documents must be verifiable.
• You should have proof of your previous highest education degree.
• You must meet the health requirements

• You must be healthy enough to travel to South Korea.
• You must perform a medical test before travelling to the country and provide a relevant documentary proof.
• You must be within the age limit to be able to apply for a student permit.
• You must meet the character requirements

• You must be visiting with education as your primary purpose.
• You must be of good character and have genuine intentions behind studying in South Korea.
• You need to provide a relevant documentary proof for the same as well in the form of a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC).

There are different kinds of documents that are required as per the course you are looking forward to pursuing from South Korea. The common list of documents for South Korea Student Visa  is given as follows:

• Original passport with validity at least 6 months ahead of the date of travel
• Completely filled visa application form
• Two photos as per the photo specifications
• Cover letter
• Academic qualification documents
• Health Certificate
• Ministry of Justice approved CCVI (Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance)
• Proof of confirmed admission
• Admission letter
• Admission receipt
• Proof of identification and nationality
• PAN card
• Adhaar card
• Proof of confirmed travel dates 
• Confirmation slip 
• Air tickets
• Proof of sufficient funds to support your stay in South Korea
• Travel requisition by employer
• Letter of mission
• Certificate of income or tax payment issued by a public agency
• Certificate of deposit balance
• Proof of accommodation
• Invitation letter
• Hotel reservation

• Two copies must be provided
• Photo size: 35mm x 45 mm.
• Coloured copy must be provided.
• The face must cover about 70-80% of the frame - 32mm x 36mm.
• Head should well-centred.
• A gap of 2mm to 6mm must be kept between the top of the head and the frame.
• The picture must not be older than 6 months.
• The background must be white
• Neutral expressions
• Glasses are not permitted.
• Headgears are not allowed except for religious reasons.
• Clothing shouldn’t match the background.

The processing time required at the time of issuance of a student visa to South Korea depends on various factors. For instance, the verification of documents and the processing of CCVI will take one to several weeks to get done. Therefore the processing time required afterwards is quite variable as well. Generally, once all the documents are submitted, you will have your student visa issued within 5 to 10 days. Even this period will be affected by the workload at the embassy office, the staff availability, whether the documents are complete or the rest of the documents are yet to be submitted and others.

The fee that is paid for the issuance of a work visa for South Korea will differ as per the type of the same. It is estimated based on several parameters. It is to be paid to the visa application centres along with the service charges. Also, you must pay the fee only in cash, else if you do not have access to a visa application centre branch, you can send in the fee with a demand draft.

After you have submitted the application form for a South Korea student visa, 

• You can just wait for the processing and track the status of your application in the meantime. 
• When the documents have been verified and the processing has been done, you can collect your passport and your permit from the visa application centre.
• If there are any other requirements to be fulfilled or if there are any mistakes in the application, the embassy or the agency must be informed.
• If there are any changes related to the application, for instance, change in marital status or birth of a child, you must inform the embassy/agency.
• You can even check the status of the application and the processing in the meantime. 
• If there is a change of plans, you can withdraw the application.
• The visa fee is generally not refundable.

To check the status of your student visa, you can visit the official website of the visa application centre. You will need to enter your reference number and your date of birth to check the processing of the visa. 

Once you have submitted your documents to the application centre, your documents will be verified and you will be provided with the permit. However, after receiving the visa, there are certain things that must be considered.

• Before you travel

• Note the visa expiry date as well as the number of entries permitted. You must not stay in the country beyond this period.
• You should travel to South Korea within the validity of your visa.
• Make sure to carry a copy of your passport and other travel documents while you are in the country.
• Issue health insurance and travel insurance from a certified company.
• At the Border
• Get your documents checked and your passport verified.
• Obtain the entry stamp on your passport.
• Consult the airport authorities for any kind of assistance required.
• Check your visa copy for other guidelines and rules to be followed.
• When you enter South Korea

• Ensure not to get involved in any kind of activities that are not permitted to a non-South Korean resident. You may get into trouble otherwise.
• You can study, work as well as tour the country on this visa (if permitted).
• The tourist prohibited areas must be stayed out of.
• Make sure you don’t overstay and apply for a visa extension in time.
• You are not allowed to work on the visa exceeding the Status of Residence.
• If you are willing to work for a longer period of time, you need to apply to the Seoul Immigration Office.