Seoul Immigration Office to offer on-campus registration at 10 universities

The Seoul Immigration Office will visit 10 universities within its jurisdiction through September to directly provide registration services to international students, the office said on Wednesday.

The visits will target universities with at least 100 new international students this semester and allow them to complete required residency documentation without visiting an immigration office in person.

“We usually receive applications [for foreigners’ residence registrations] in bulk from universities and identify schools with at least 100 new international students before making the visits,” an immigration official said on Wednesday. The service is typically offered around the beginning of each academic semester.

Seoul National University, Hanyang University and Sookmyung Women’s University have previously used this service.

At universities with fewer international students, the office will operate a dedicated service desk for international students throughout September. Students can visit the desk without an appointment to receive help with administrative procedures, including electronic applications for part-time work permits and other residence-related matters.

On Friday, the Seoul Immigration Office held a forum with representatives from 30 universities involved with international students, as well as the students themselves. During the forum, the university representatives called for improvements to the visa and residence permit application, citing difficulties such as excessive paperwork and application processing delays.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]