"Is My Child Okay?" Over 24,000 Koreans Affected by Sudden Visa Restriction Announcement

[Anchor]

Students currently studying in the United States or preparing to study abroad are in a state of panic following the sudden news of visa restrictions. An emergency has been declared for approximately 24,000 South Korean citizens currently in the U.S., including those on exchange visitor visas.

Hong Yeongjae reports.

[Reporter]

Online communities related to studying in the U.S. have been flooded with posts from students worried about whether they will be able to continue their studies.

Students and parents are anxious, especially those whose academic periods have been extended due to military service or leaves of absence, or those preparing for employment within the U.S.

[Parent of a student serving in the military: My son is currently in the military, and the school has already terminated his visa. We are worried about what to do later when he looks for a job, as we had been considering employment in the U.S. as well.]

With the difficulty of obtaining U.S. visas already having increased since the launch of the Trump administration, the announcement that residency reviews will become even stricter for students in master’s and doctoral programs—which typically take four years or more—is an immense burden.

[Student preparing for a doctoral program: I have often felt that they are somewhat uncooperative regarding visa matters. Some people are turning their eyes to other countries, while others are just returning to Korea.]

As of last year, there were approximately 24,000 South Korean citizens residing in the U.S. on F visas for students, J visas for exchange visitors, and I visas for foreign journalists.

For now, they must comply as much as possible with the U.S. government’s more stringent visa renewal guidelines, such as clearly proving the purpose and plan of their stay.

[Kim Ho-jun, Director of Cheongdam One Study Abroad Agency: The biggest concern seems to be the worry about delays, as students must now apply directly to the immigration office for extensions that were previously handled by the schools. Since the renewal process has become more complicated, it is best to move up your schedule and prepare in advance.]

The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles announced that it will soon hold an information session on the changed visa system to address questions from students.

Reported by Hong Yeongjae | Video editing by Kim Jong-mi | Design by Kang Yoon-jung
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.