How to Apply for Korean F-5 Visa While on a Spousal Visa (F6)
One of our most common inquiries is whether someone can apply for the F-5 visa if they have been married to a Korean and lived in South Korea for an extended period. Yes, you can, but you still must meet other requirements.
Korean Permanent Residency Point System
It is Korea’s “permanent residency” visa and it allows its holders to never again have to visit immigration to renew their visa, and is valid regardless of future marital status, financial status, etc.
How do I get a Korean F-5 visa?
There are a few ways to receive a Korea F-5 visa, but the most common is by having been a married South Korean resident for an extended period of time. You can also get one after having worked in Korea for an extended period of time, having invested and resided in Korea for an extended period of time, etc. We will discuss those methods in future articles.
F-5 visa Korea requirements when applying via marital status & residency
Here is a complete list of the requirements necessary to receive an F-5 Visa:
1. Current Marital Status
Your marriage must be valid at the time of application unless you can submit a court decision where the court has acknowledged either: 1) a divorce where your Korean spouse is 100% at fault; or 2) recognizing your custody of your Korean children. If you divorced under either of these conditions, are still eligible for the Korean F-5 visa.
2. Long-term Korean Residence
You must have lived in Korea for two consecutive years or more while on an Korea F-6 marital visa.
3. Financial Means
You and/or your spouse must have demonstrable assets of at least KRW 30 million. This money could be in a bank account, be a deposit for housing, or some other relatively liquid financial asset. You also may show immigration the document showing your steady income such as a certificate of employment or bank record of continuous deposit as a salary.
4. Crime-Free Background
A criminal background check can be obtained from a South Korean police station or prosecutor’s office.
5. A Current Domicile
Document proving your residence in a Korean domicile, such as lease agreement under your or your spouse’s name.
6. Proof of Understanding Korean Language & Culture
This is most commonly proven with TOPIK test results of Level 4 or higher or Certificate of completion of the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP). Please note, that TOPIK test results were only accepted by Korea Immigration until March 31, 2019. Since that date, only KIIP certificates (level 5 and higher) have been valid.
These are the basic requirements, but other documents may be requested by immigration based on your situation. For questions contact the Korean Immigration Hotline at 1345.
Most people have time to handle this on their own, but if you’d like to hire us to handle the details for you, send us an email at simon@pureumlawoffice.com or click on “Contact Us” above.
If you want to know how to get Korean citizenship while on an F6 Korea spousal visa, please check out this article.
