F-5 Permanent Residence Visa
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It is a visa that allows foreigners to live in Korea for a long time without limitations on the period of their stay and allows them to work freely without restrictions. You can also enjoy various benefits so that E-3, E-7, F-2, F-4, F-6 holders are eager to upgrade their visa.
The screening of F-5 visa evaluates annual income, Korean language ability, educational background, overseas criminal record, etc.
Basic screening items for F-5 Permanent Residence Visa
(1) Annual Income
-Depending on the type of permanent residency, income in last year should be more than GNI double or GNI 1 time
-Depending on the type of permanent residency, income can be combined with families (spouses, parents) living together with the applicant
(2) Korean language ability
You must complete of level 5 of KIIP (social integration program) or get more than 60 points in the exam for permanent residence
(It will be mitigated or exempted depending on the type of F-5 visa)
(3) Overseas criminal record
It is essential to verify overseas criminal history in foreign countries. For documents issued overseas, it should be apostilled or confirmed by embassy.
(There are cases where submission is exempted depending on the type of F-5 visa)
(4) Educational background
-Bachelor’s and master’s degree holders can have a chance to apply for permanent residency by GNI 1 time.
-PhD degree holders can have a chance apply for permanent residency by GNI 1 time, exemption from completion of social integration programs (KIIP) and submitting overseas criminal background certificate.
In addition, there may be additional screening items depending on the type of F-5 visa.
Benefits of F-5 Visa
1. F-5 visa holder can live a stable life with unlimited job and period of time in Korea
2. F-5 visa holder can extend visa every 10 years
3. F-5 visa holder’s wife and children can get F-2 visa and upgrade their visa to F-5 visa after 2 years
4. F-5 visa holder can acquire nationality in near future (Principle of preposition)
5. F-5 visa holder can sign up for nation pension
6. F-5 visa holder can get benefit of health insurance
7. F-5 visa holder will not be deported easily if he or she is not a serious immigration offender
27 types of F-5 permanent residency
There are 27 types of F-5 permanent residency depending on the conditions of the applicant, so each individual need to check the qualifications and apply for an appropriate permanent residence visa.
F-5-1 Those who have stayed in Korea for more than 5 years (general permanent resident)
F-5-2 Spouse of Korean
F-5-3 Minor children of Korean
F-5-4 Spouse or minor child of holder of permanent residency
F-5-5 Investors who have invested more than $ 500,000 and employed at least five citizens
F-5-6 Person who stayed more than 2 years as overseas Korean
F-5-7 Foreign nationals who meet the requirements to acquire nationality
F-5-8 Overseas Chinese born in Korea
F-5-9 Overseas PhD degree holder in high-tech industry and is employed by a domestic company
F-5-10 Bachelor’s degree or above holder in high-tech industry at an overseas university, master’s degree or above holder in general field at domestic university and is employed by a domestic company
F-5-11 A person with outstanding ability in specific fields such as science, management, education, culture and arts, and sports
F-5-12 Those who have special merit in Korea
F-5-13 Overseas pension beneficiaries (over 60 years old)
F-5-14 4 years or more of visiting employment working in the manufacturing industry
F-5-15 Domestic PhD Degree holder in Korean university and is employed by Korean company
F-5-16 Those who have stayed for more than 3 years with F-2-7 visa
F-5-17 Person who has continuously invested for 5 years or more as a resident of real estate investment
F-5-18 Spouse or Minor Children of a Pointed Permanent Resident (F-5-16)
F-5-19 Spouse or unmarried child of real estate investor
F-5-20 Permanent Resident’s Child Born in Korea
F-5-21 Person who has continuously invested for more than 5 years with F-2 Public utility investment immigration Visa
F-5-22 Spouse and unmarried children of a utility public investor (F-5-21)
F-5-23 Retired immigrants who have invested in public utilities for more than five years and have domestic assets of more than 300 million (Abolition due to the revision of immigration law)
F-5-24 A person who has attracted more than 300 million won in investment as a technology start-up (D-8-4) qualification and employed at least two nationals
F-5-25 A person who has pledged to invest at least 3 billion won for more than 5 years
F-5-26 A person who has worked for 3 years or more as a research and development manpower for a foreign-invested company
F-5-27 A person who has been in Korea for more than 2 years as refugee status visa
Conditions of F-5 Permanent Residence visa by type
1. F-5-1 visa (general permanent residents)
Requirements
(1) Those who have stayed in Korea for at more than 5 years with a dispatch (D-7) visa through a specific activity (E-7) visa or a residence (F-2) visa
(2) Income in last year should be more than GNI double about 85 million won
(Spouse and family members living together can combine the income but your income must be more than 50%)
(3) If proven by assets, it must be at least 1.5 times the average net worth per Korean household
(4) You need to complete of level 5 of KIIP (social integration program) or get more than 60 points in the exam for permanent residence.
(5) You have to submit overseas criminal background certificate
(6) In case of investment (D-8) visa holder, the average sales for two years
(the previous year and the year before last) must be at least 1 billion won
2. F-5-2, F-5-3 visa (a spouse and child of Korean nationals)
Requirements
(1) Those who have stayed in Korea more than 2 years with F-6 Visa(spouse) or F-2 Visa(child)
(2) Income in last year should be more than GNI 1 time about 42.5 million won
(Spouse and family members living together can combine the income)
(3) If you raise children, the income requirement can be mitigated by 20% to 50% and KIIP level 4 completion will be allowed depending on the number of children and the length of stay in Korea
(4) If proven by assets, the total assets of applicant and family living together are above the median level
(5) You have to submit overseas criminal background certificate
3. F-5-4 visa (a spouse or child of permanent residence visa holder)
Requirements
(1) 2 years after holding F-2-3 residence visa
(2) Income in last year should be more than GNI 1 time
(Spouse and family members living together can combine the income but your income must be more than 50%)
(3) If proven by assets, it must be at least 1 times the average net worth per Korean household
(4) You need to complete of level 5 of KIIP (social integration program) or get more than 60 points in the exam for permanent residence
(5) You have to submit overseas criminal background certificate
4. F-5-6 visa (Overseas Koreans)
Requirements
(1) Those who had the nationality of Korea by birth and acquired foreign nationality
(2) Those who has acquired foreign nationality as a direct descendant
(3) 2 years after holding F-4 Visa
(4) Income in last year should be more than GNI 1 time
(Spouse and family members living together can combine the income but your income must be more than 50%)
(5) If proven by assets, it must be at least 1 times the average net worth per Korean household
(6) You have to submit overseas criminal background certificate
5. F-5-9 visa (Overseas PhD Degree holder in the field of high tech)
Requirements
(1) Overseas doctoral degree holder in the field of high-tech such as IT, nano, bio, energy, new materials, environment.
(2) A person who is employed by Korean company in the field of related major for more than 1 year as full time regular employment
(3) Income in last year should be more than GNI 1 time about 42.5 million won
(4) There is exemption from KIIP (social integration program)
(5) There is exemption from overseas criminal background certificate
6. F-5-10 visa (Bachelor’s degree or master’s degree holder in Overseas or Korean university)
Requirements
(1) Bachelor’s degree or above in high tech fields at an overseas university
(2) Bachelor’s degree in science and engineering at a domestic university
(3) Master’s degree or above regardless of major at a domestic university
(4) A person who is employed by Korean company in the field of related major for more than 1 year as full time regular employment (No restriction of job field in case of domestic degree holder)
(5) Overseas degree holders must stay and work in Korea for at least three years at a domestic company in the field of related major
(6) Domestic degree holders must stay in Korea for three years prior to the date of application, working in industry permitted by the relevant visa status for at least three years
(7) Income in last year should be more than GNI 1 time about 42.5 million won
(8) You need to complete of level 5 of KIIP (social integration program) or get more than 60 points in the exam for permanent residence
(9) You have to submit overseas criminal background certificate
7. F-5-11 visa (Point based permanent residence visa)
Requirements
(1) Those who have a special ability in the field of science, business management, education, culture, arts, sports etc
(2) Major applicants are research professors at universities, researchers at large corporations, patent holders, and winners of internationally recognized competitions (fields of science, culture, arts, sports, etc.)
(3) You shall meet at least one of the essential items, and the total score of the essential items and the optional items shall meet under any of the following
-Essential items include work experience at domestic and international universities and research centers with research performance, lectures at global universities, work experience at global companies and large companies, intellectual property ownership, and international competition
-Optional items include annual income, domestic assets, educational background, and completion of social integration programs (KIIP)
(4) There is exemption from income requirement
(5) There is exemption from KIIP (social integration program)
(6) There is exemption from overseas criminal background certificate
8. F-5-15 visa (Domestic PhD Degree holder in Korean university)
Requirements
(1) Domestic PhD Degree holder who has completed regular courses at a graduate school in Korea regardless of major
(2) A person who is employed by Korean company for more than 1 year as regular employment
(3) Income in last year should be more than GNI 1 time about 42.5 million won
(4) There is exemption from KIIP (social integration program)
(5) There is exemption from overseas criminal background certificate
9. F-5-16 visa (F-2-7 Point based residence visa holder)
Requirements
(1) 3 years after holding F-2-7 Visa
(2) Income in last year should be more than GNI double
(3) You need to complete of level 5 of KIIP (social integration program) or get more than 60 points in the exam for permanent residence
(4) You have to submit overseas criminal background certificate
10. F-5-21 visa (Person who has continuously invested for more than 5 years with F-2 Public utility investment immigration Visa)
Requirements
(1) At the time of the application, the investment must be maintained for a total of 5 years or more with the status of F-2 Public utility investment immigration Visa
(2) There is exemption from income requirement
(3) There is exemption from KIIP (social integration program)
(4) There is exemption from identity guarantee
(5) You have to submit overseas criminal background certificate
11. F-5-22 visa (Spouse and unmarried children of a utility public investor F-5-21)
Requirements
(1) As a spouse and unmarried children of a utility public investor and a utility retirement immigrant investor, a person who have maintained F-2 visa status for at least 5 years
(2) Either of the applicant’s spouse, father or mother on the date of application must have F-5-21 visa
(3) There is exemption from income requirement
(4) There is exemption from KIIP (social integration program)
(5) There is exemption from identity guarantee
(6) You have to submit overseas criminal background certificate
12. F-5-23 visa (Retired immigrants who have invested in public utilities for more than five years and have domestic assets of more than 300 million –Abolition due to the revision of immigration law )
Requirements
(1) At the time of the application date, the investment will be maintained for a total of more than five years as a F-2 retirement immigrant investment residence qualification
(2) In addition to the investment, the domestic assets of applicant or spouse such as real estate must be more than 300 million won
(3) There is exemption from income requirement
(4) There is exemption from KIIP (social integration program)
(5) There is exemption from identity guarantee
(6) You have to submit overseas criminal background certificate
13. F-5-25 visa (A person who has pledged to invest at least 3 billion won for more than 5 years)
Requirements
(1) More than 3 billion won must have been deposited in the Korea Development Bank’s public interest investment immigration fund determined by the Minister of Justice before the date of application
(2) You must pledge to maintain the investment for five years
* If some or all of the deposited amount is withdrawn in the middle, the status of permanent residence is revoked
(3) There is exemption from income requirement
(4) There is exemption from KIIP (social integration program)
(5) You have to submit overseas criminal background certificate
Required documents for F-5 Visa
1. Passport
2. Integrated application form
3. Alien Registration Card
4. Documents proving the place of stay
5. Identity guarantee
6. Income certificate
7. Overseas criminal background certificate
8. Documents related company
9. Degree certificate
10. KIIP (social integration program) certificate
The required documents vary depending on the type of F-5 permanent residence visa, so you need to check them before applying