What happens to my visa if I am a D-2 student and I take a leave of absence or am expelled?

If you take a leave of absence or are expelled, your school reports it to Immigration. If you take a leave, your stay extension may be blocked. If you are expelled, you become subject to departure. You cannot keep your visa as it is in these cases. So prepare ahead of time.

The school reports to Immigration

In the following cases, the school must report to the Immigration Office in charge within 15 days of learning about it.

• You did not register within the set period each semester
• You took a leave of absence
• Your studies ended, for example you were expelled or lost contact with the school

Immigration will learn about this even if you do not tell them.

A leave of absence and an expulsion have different results

• Leave of absence: If you stop your studies for personal reasons or because of low credits, your stay extension is restricted. A leave for housework or to delay graduation is also not accepted. But if you have an unavoidable reason such as illness or an accident, you may exceptionally get a measure such as a change to a suitable status of stay.
• Expulsion: Your studies are considered ended, and you become subject to departure. In this case, transferring to another school is also restricted.

What to do right away

1. Ask your school's international office (국제처) for the date your leave or expulsion was processed and whether it was reported to Immigration.
2. If the reason is illness or an accident, prepare supporting documents such as a medical certificate in advance.
3. Ask your Immigration Office in charge first whether you can change to another status of stay or enroll again.
4. If you must leave Korea, finish your affairs within your period of stay. If you stay past that period, you become an illegal resident.

If you received an expulsion notice or your extension was refused, the result can differ a lot depending on your personal situation. Try K-VISA AI Administrative Agent consultation (K-VISA AI 행정사 상담) in the app's visa service. Be sure to check the exact details again at HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or 1345.