New measures to help international students have been announced by the South Korean government and came into effect from July 3, 2023, onwards. The number of hours that international students can put in has been increased by the government.
The Ministry of Justice has announced amendments that would increase the maximum weekly working hours for foreign students enrolled in undergraduate programmes or earning associate degrees from 20 hours to 25 hours.
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Additionally, students who are enrolled outside of major cities will be authorised to work up to 30 hours per week, as will those who show a high degree of Korean language skills. The greatest relief was for Indian students who saw this as an opportunity to make additional money while attending school in Seoul, South Korea, where living expenses are very expensive.
Indian student Sameed Sami works three jobs in Seoul, both on and off school, to support herself. She said that in two instances, her employers had trouble arranging her shifts because of the earlier restriction. Sameed also complained about the high expense of living in the city. Sameed's perspective was shared by Manisha Yadav, another Indian student at Daegu University in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang. She shared that the temptation to overwork arises from not having enough money to meet living expenses.
She acknowledges that the 20-hour limit kept her from working too much and allowed her to concentrate on her studies too. Swarnim Singh, another former Indian student who is presently employed in Korea, believes that things were different in Korea before COVID. Swarnim feels that while enabling students to work more hours might help them lower their financial commitments, it would still not be enough for those who must pay for their living expenses in Korea as well as their academic expenses.
The government has announced modifications to the student visa application procedure in addition to extending the working hours for international students. They will now require less funding for their student visas, and the cost of the visa will be determined in South Korean Won, not US dollars.
International students must also prove that they have adequate Korean language abilities to be allowed to work in South Korea while they are studying. In addition to the Korean Language Proficiency Test, the Ministry has now included the online King Sejong Institute level examination and the Korean Language Ability Test in its list of accepted exams.
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Additionally, an easing of restrictions for students who wish to remain and work in South Korea after graduation has been announced by the Korean Immigration Service. As a result of these revisions, the amount of time spent in Korea necessary for a longer-term E-7-4 visa has been cut from five years to four years, and employment limitations for foreign employees have now also been reduced for Korean firms.
Source: Free Press Journal (Mumbai)
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