Four visa changes from 19 October, in plain words

On 19 October 2026 the Ministry of Justice (법무부) reissued both of the manuals its officers work from: the one for visas you apply for from abroad (사증), and the one for everything you file inside Korea (체류). Both moved at once, which does not happen often.

We read the new edition against the old one, line by line. Four things changed that are worth your time. Here they are in plain words.

1. Students: your proof of money now has rules

If you are applying for a student visa (D-2), the manual used to ask for a year of tuition and living costs, and a "recent" balance certificate. Recent is now a number.

• The certificate comes from a bank, Korean or foreign.
• The account can be yours, or your mother's or father's. A brother's or sister's account counts only if both your parents have died.
• It has to be issued within 30 days of the day you apply.
• The money has to stay in the account for the whole of the stay you are given.
• If the balance appeared through quick deposits and withdrawals, the officer can come back to it later and check whether the money is still there.

There is one extra line for students already here who are moving from a language course (D-4) to a degree course (D-2). The money is expected to come from outside Korea, but money you earned legally in Korea, for example with a part-time work permit (시간제 취업허가), is accepted.

What this means for you: do not get the certificate too early. Thirty days is a short window, and a balance you move in and then move out again is exactly what the new line is looking for.

2. Digital nomads: the lease has to be in your name

If you are on the workation visa (F-1-D) and you qualified on the lower income figure because you are staying outside the Seoul area, you prove where you live with a lease of a month or more, a workation facility booking, or an accommodation booking.

That document now has to be in your own name when you file inside Korea: changing your status, extending it, or registering as a foreign resident (외국인등록). A booking in a friend's name no longer does the job.

The same edition also answers a question that had no clear answer: what happens if the remote job ends while you are here? You do not have to report it, and you do not have to leave early. What you cannot do is extend. Your stay ends on the date you were already given.

3. Trade business (D-9-1): points are no longer enough

The trade visa has a points route, and people changing their status to it have been told that passing the points test is the test. The manual now states a separate reason to be refused: falling under the combined standard that restricts stay permits, which covers people who have been given a penalty fine (범칙금).

If that applies to you, a good score will not carry you past it.

4. Skilled workers (E-7-4): the income floor is now 25 million won

For the skilled worker points route, one part of the manual asked for an average income of 25,890,000 won over your last two years, and another part asked for 25,000,000. Both now say 25,000,000 won, or 24,000,000 for farming, fishing and coastal shipping.

One thing did not change: your employment contract still has to pay at least 26,000,000 won a year, or 25,890,000 in those same industries.

Check your own case

The Visa Finder already has all four changes in it. Answer the questions for your visa and it tells you what your route still needs, and which documents to bring.

Open the Korea Visa Finder

Every manual change we track is listed on the visa changes page.

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Read on 22 October 2026 from the Ministry of Justice (법무부) 사증민원 and 체류민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼, 19 October 2026 edition. This is guidance, not a decision: immigration officers decide each case. If your situation is close to any of these limits, confirm it with your immigration office or the 1345 hotline before you apply.

Tags: #KoreaVisa #StudentVisa #D2 #DigitalNomad #F1D #E74 #LivingInKorea #VisaFinder #WaegookGuide