Ministry of Justice Expands Eligibility for Foreign Children to Obtain Residency Status

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The Ministry of Justice announced on the 20th that it will temporarily expand the granting of residence status from next month until March 2025 to broadly guarantee the educational rights of foreign children residing in Korea without proper qualifications and attending school.

The Ministry of Justice explained that under this measure, those born in Korea or who entered during infancy (under 6 years old) and are attending elementary, middle, or high school, or have graduated from high school, will be granted a residence period of 6 years, while those who entered after infancy will be granted 7 years.

Previously, residence status was limited to children born in Korea who had resided for more than 15 years and were attending or had graduated from domestic middle or high schools. The Ministry of Justice stated that this new measure expands the scope and range of application.

Additionally, if the applicant is currently attending middle or high school as of the application date, they will be granted a residence status for study (D-4) until high school graduation. If they have graduated from high school but do not meet the requirements for study abroad or employment residence status, they will be granted a temporary stay (G-1) status for one year.

If the student is expelled or commits a violation, their residence status may be canceled or extension denied according to the Immigration Control Act.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, about 3,000 students are enrolled in domestic elementary, middle, or high schools without foreign registration numbers, and the Ministry of Justice expects that a significant number of them will be eligible for relief under this measure.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.