When a marriage ends — through divorce, separation, death, or abandonment — many foreign spouses who came to Korea on an F-6 visa face an uncertain immigration future. The rules are not simple: Korean immigration law provides three distinct F-6 subtypes for three different situations, and each has different requirements and pathways. This guide explains what options exist and how to protect your legal status in Korea after your marriage changes.
Korea's F-6 (결혼이민 / Marriage Immigration) visa has three official subtypes:
F-6-1 (National's Spouse): For foreign nationals in a valid, continuing marriage to a Korean citizen. Both countries must recognize the marriage as valid. This is the standard 'married' subtype.
F-6-2 (Parent of Korean Minor Child): For a foreign parent who is no longer in a marriage to a Korean national but is raising — or intends to raise — a minor child born of that relationship (including children born of a de facto marriage / 사실혼). The parent does not need to be currently married to or to have custody awarded by a court — they must demonstrate they are raising or will raise the Korean minor child inside Korea.
F-6-3 (Involuntary Dissolution): For a foreign national who was married to a Korean citizen, was legally staying in Korea under that marriage, but the marriage ended or became impossible to continue through no fault of their own — for example, because of the Korean spouse's death, disappearance (실종), serious illness or disability preventing cohabitation, or documented domestic violence or abuse.
F-6-2 is specifically designed for the situation where a marriage has ended but children of the relationship remain. To qualify:
F-6-2 allows you to remain in Korea even after divorce, and it carries the same no-work-restriction benefit as other F-6 subtypes — you can work freely. The key evidence requirement is proof of your parental relationship with the Korean child (family relationship certificate / 가족관계증명서) and evidence that you are raising the child in Korea.
Court-awarded custody is not required — even de facto parenting can qualify, though custody documentation helps. If you are the non-custodial parent trying to visit your Korean child, F-6-2 is typically not available; you would apply under F-1 (Family Visitor) instead.
F-6-3 applies when you remain married (or were recently married) to a Korean national but cannot maintain the marriage due to circumstances beyond your control:
Qualifying situations:
Not qualifying:
For F-6-3 applications based on domestic violence or abuse, immigration accepts police reports, hospital records, court injunction orders, shelter records, and NGO support letters as evidence. Immigration officers are instructed to take a sympathetic approach to genuine domestic violence situations.
F-6-3 status still allows you to work freely. The stay period is typically 1 year at a time, renewable.
For the initial F-6 (F-6-1) visa, the Korean spouse must demonstrate sufficient income to support the household. As of 2026, the income threshold is based on the national median income standard (기준 중위소득):
For F-6-2 and F-6-3, the income requirement for the Korean sponsor no longer applies in the same way — because there may be no Korean sponsor. In these cases, immigration evaluates the foreign national's own ability to maintain themselves financially in Korea, or relies on other family support.
Income requirement exemptions for F-6-1 exist when: (1) the couple has a child together; (2) the couple lived abroad together for 1+ year; or (3) the foreign spouse has previously held F-6 status with the same Korean national without interruption.
If you divorce your Korean spouse after entering Korea on F-6-1, your F-6-1 status becomes untenable because the qualifying condition (valid ongoing marriage) no longer exists. You have several options:
Do not simply remain in Korea after divorce while your F-6-1 status is still technically valid. Your status should be adjusted to reflect your actual situation. Deliberately misrepresenting your marital status to maintain F-6-1 is a fraud that leads to deportation and an entry ban.
One important restriction in the residency manual: foreign nationals who entered Korea on a Working Holiday visa (H-1) cannot apply to change status to F-6 (Marriage Immigration) inside Korea. If you met your Korean partner while on a Working Holiday visa and wish to get married, you must depart Korea and apply for the F-6 visa at a Korean consulate in your home country with your marriage documentation.
As a general rule, people who entered Korea on a short-stay visa (B-1, B-2, C-1 through C-4) cannot change to F-6 inside Korea — they must depart and apply at a Korean consulate abroad. Exceptions are limited to:
The notable exception: German nationals who entered on B-1 (visa waiver treaty) can apply for F-6 status changes inside Korea, due to the specific terms of Korea's bilateral treaty with Germany.
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Our specialists handle f-6 visa after divorce or separation in korea: your options cases regularly and know exactly what Korean immigration officers look for.
Find a SpecialistMy Korean husband passed away. Can I still stay in Korea?
Yes. You qualify for F-6-3 status (involuntary dissolution). Present your spouse's death certificate, your marriage certificate, and your own identification. Immigration officers are directed to process these sympathetically. You will be granted a 1-year renewable F-6-3 status that allows you to work and remain in Korea.
We divorced and my ex-husband has custody of our child. Can I still get F-6-2?
F-6-2 requires you to be raising or intending to raise the child inside Korea. If your ex-husband has full custody and you have no parenting role, F-6-2 may not apply to you. However, if you have joint custody or are actively involved in parenting even without formal custody, discuss the specifics with an immigration specialist. The standard requires that you are the one raising the child.
I experienced domestic violence from my Korean spouse. How do I change to F-6-3?
Contact the Korea Immigration Service or visit the nearest immigration office. Bring any evidence of the abuse: police reports, hospital records, shelter documents, court orders, or support letters from certified DV support organizations. Immigration has specific guidance to process these cases with care. Organizations like Korea Danuri (1577-1366, multilingual support) can assist you with both safety and immigration matters.
How long can I stay on F-6-2 or F-6-3 before I need to renew?
F-6-2 and F-6-3 are typically granted for 1-year periods and must be renewed. After sufficient years of stable F-6 residence, you may become eligible for F-5 permanent residency through the marriage-based pathway (5 years of F-6 residence, or less with mitigating circumstances).