Update on Visa Issuance and Tuition Fee Refund Procedures for International Students
SGU
Dear international students and representatives of partner agencies,
We would like to provide an update regarding future visa issuance and tuition fee refund procedures.
1. Regarding Visa Issuance
Regarding the recent rumors about a possible “suspension of visa issuance,” a representative of Singyeongju University visited the Ulsan Immigration Office on August 3, 2026, and held a meeting with the Head of the Office and the Head of the Management Division.
As a result of the meeting, the Immigration Office clearly confirmed that the basic principle is that “whether a university has been declared bankrupt is not a determining factor in the visa issuance review process.” The Immigration Office also confirmed that there are currently no problems whatsoever with visa issuance for international students of Singyeongju University.
In fact, the university has applied to the court for permission to continue university operations, and even after the bankruptcy declaration, visas for applicants to the Korean Language Institute and undergraduate programs were normally issued on July 7 and July 15, 2026.
2. Regarding Tuition Fee Refunds
We would like to provide detailed information regarding the two main concerns raised by international students.
First, regarding the registration of claims for unpaid tuition fee refunds
Regarding the process of notifying the court that there are unpaid tuition fees to be refunded (claim registration), the court that declared the university’s bankruptcy ordered creditors to submit their claims by August 28.
Currently, Singyeongju University submitted an application to the court for the commencement of rehabilitation proceedings on July 23, 2026, and is awaiting the court’s decision.
If the university’s application for the commencement of rehabilitation proceedings is accepted before August 28, all international students’ tuition fee refund claims will be included in the creditor list submitted to the court by the rehabilitation administrator. Therefore, according to Article 151 of the Debtor Rehabilitation and Bankruptcy Act, international students will not need to separately register their claims.
Even if August 28 arrives due to delays in the court’s decision to commence rehabilitation proceedings, international students’ rights to receive tuition fee refunds will not be lost. Under Article 453 of the Debtor Rehabilitation and Bankruptcy Act, late claim registration after the official claim submission period is permitted.
Furthermore, if the university’s rehabilitation application is not accepted, the university plans to request partner agencies or legal representatives to register claims on behalf of international students. The university is preparing related documents, including claim registration forms and letters of authorization.
In other words, the university is preparing the necessary procedures and documents so that authorized representatives can register claims on behalf of international students and is making preparations for any possible situation. Individual applicants will be notified separately by email.
Second, regarding when the tuition fee refund process may resume
If the court decides to commence rehabilitation proceedings at the end of August 2026, the university is making every effort to resume the refund process sequentially from early September. The university is preparing all necessary measures, including requesting cooperation from its main banking institution.
The reason the end of August is being mentioned as the expected timing of the commencement decision is based on the general period required from the application for rehabilitation proceedings to the court’s decision. However, the decision may be delayed due to various factors, including the summer court recess period. Afterward, the specific order and procedures for refunds will be managed under the supervision of the rehabilitation court.
The university recognizes the refund of international students’ tuition fees, along with the issue of unpaid wages, as one of its highest-priority matters. We are actively preparing the necessary procedures to ensure that refunds can be processed as quickly as possible.
Since the current situation involving tuition fee refunds following a bankruptcy declaration and an application for rehabilitation proceedings is an unprecedented situation for the university, we kindly ask for your understanding that it may be difficult to provide completely definitive answers from both legal and practical perspectives at this stage.
The university will continue to provide updates regarding the progress of the rehabilitation proceedings, refund schedules, and other important matters through the university’s official website as soon as details are confirmed.
We sincerely apologize for the concern and inconvenience caused to our international students and representatives of partner agencies.
Singyeongju University