F-1 Visa Korea — Family Visit Status, Subtypes & Who Can Sponsor You

F-1-1: Historical code for minor children of Korean citizens (pre-2026 practice) The manual's only confirmed reference to F-1-1 is a conversion note: minor foreign children of Korean citizens who previously held F-1-1 status are converted immediately, fee-free, to F-2-2 residence status once confirmed. There's no standalone F-1-1 definition table in the current manual — this population is now routed directly to F-2-2 rather than through F-1-1 first.

F-1-3: Dependent of an A-1~A-3 (diplomatic/protocol) holder outside their household For a cohabiting dependent of someone holding 외교(A-1) through 협정(A-3) status who is NOT counted within that sponsor's registered household unit (세대) — this is what distinguishes F-1-3 from the standard A-series family/dependent track. Issued abroad as a visa (not a domestic status change), capped at 1 year, single-entry.

F-1-5: Family of a marriage migrant (F-6 holder), typically parents helping with childcare For the parents of a marriage migrant who enter Korea to help raise the migrant's children. This is also the reference category applied to F-1-28 (below).

F-1-28: Parents of a naturalized Korean citizen For the foreign-national parents of someone who has naturalized as a Korean citizen — administered by applying F-1-5's criteria to this population.

F-1-D: Digital nomad companion status (May 2025) Spouse and dependents accompanying an F-1-D digital nomad visa holder, tied to the main F-1-D holder's permitted stay period.

F-1-52: Children from prior marriage of a marriage immigrant (March 2025) Added March 2025. Covers the biological or adopted children that a marriage immigrant (F-6 holder) had from a previous marriage or relationship, who are not children of the current Korean sponsor. This addresses a gap where stepchildren joining their F-6 parent in Korea had no clear F-1 subtype. Requirements: the F-6 holder must be actively residing in Korea, and the child must be under 19 (or under 25 in school).

Note: there's no confirmed F-1 subtype specifically for elderly parents of an F-4 (overseas Korean) holder joining their child in Korea — overseas-Korean family reunification typically runs through the F-3/F-4 tracks instead. F-1-2 and F-1-4 appear in the manual's numbering but have no standalone definition table this site could independently verify — don't assume a specific eligibility profile for either without confirming with the current manual or an 행정사.

Marriage-migrant/naturalized-citizen sponsor (F-1-5, F-1-28): • Sponsor must be actively residing in Korea • Provide 가족관계증명서 showing the family relationship • Proof of income or financial capacity to support the F-1 holder

A-1~A-3 diplomatic/protocol sponsor (F-1-3): • Dependent must NOT be counted in the sponsor's registered household (세대) — that's what makes them F-1-3 rather than the standard A-series family track • Issued abroad as a visa, capped at 1 year, single-entry

For most F-1 categories, the sponsoring party must demonstrate household income meeting the 기준 중위소득 threshold for the combined household size. F-1-1, F-1-2, and F-1-4 don't have a confirmed standalone sponsor-requirements profile on this site — confirm current requirements directly with immigration or an 행정사 before relying on any assumed category for these.

Duration: F-1 is typically issued for 1 year, renewable annually.

Work restrictions: Standard F-1 holders cannot work without separate work authorization. There is no inherent work right on F-1 — unlike F-2, F-4, F-5, or F-6. If you need to work in Korea, you need to qualify for a separate work visa.

F-1 vs F-3: F-3 is for immediate family (spouse and children) accompanying a specific visa holder, issued alongside the main visa. F-1 is for extended family members, adult children of residents, elderly parents, and situations where F-3 does not apply.