Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon again said that more visa support will be given to international students in science and technology during his visit to Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (Unist) on Friday.

"I think Korea's current immigration policies don't have enough benefits for science and tech talents," Han said during a meeting with Unist's international students. "We hope students like you won't ... leave for other countries due to visa issues."

Han added, "We will be the ones taking care of those issues, so students like you can make contributions to Korea."

This is the second time this week Han met with international students at a science and technology university.

He visited KAIST in Daejeon on Tuesday, where he also said there will be changes in visa policies for students in science and tech, including introducing visas that will allow students to bring their families to work in Korea.

Han also visited HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan shipyard on Friday, vowing to increase the quota for the E-7-4 skilled worker visa.

The government set this year's quota at 35,000.

Han said those with Korean fluency will get even more benefits when applying for the skilled worker visa.

The E-7-4 visa is a points-based visa that prioritizes applicants with higher points. Korean language proficiency is one way in which applicants can earn more points.

Those with the Test of Proficiency in Korean level 5 or above get 20 points, 15 points for those with level 4, 10 points for those with level 3 and 5 points for those with level 2.

The maximum number of points an applicant can earn is 200.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]