A-3 (Status of Forces / Treaty Agreement) Korea Visa Guide | 2026

1. What A-3 Is

A-3 (협정/Agreement) is granted to a person whose activity in Korea is governed by a bilateral or multilateral agreement Korea has signed, where that agreement exempts them (or makes it appropriate to exempt them) from the standard foreign-registration requirement, plus their family. The manual names two concrete agreements this status is built on: SOFA (the Korea-US mutual defense treaty provisions on US forces status in Korea) and the Fulbright agreement (a Korea-US education memorandum covering lecturing/research support, native-English teaching-assistant support, and international education-administrator training). Stay period equals however long the person's status persists, or the stay period fixed by the underlying agreement (신분존속기간 또는 협정상의 체류기간).

2. Eligibility Checklist

• Applicant category fits current A-3 agreement/treaty scope.
• Applicable agreement/treaty basis is documented correctly.
• Official assignment/supporting records are complete and valid.
• Family linkage records are provided where dependents are included.
• No unresolved identity/official record mismatches affecting verification.

3. Criteria Summary

• A-3 is not a points-based category.
• Review is treaty-basis and official-document driven.
• Processing differs from ordinary public visa channels.
• Always confirm correct agreement/treaty pathway before filing.

4. Salary and Contract Rules

• A-3 does not apply standard public work salary-threshold logic.
• Eligibility relies on treaty/agreement assignment documentation.
• Fees/procedures may include category-specific handling or exemptions.
• Misclassified filing channel can cause delays or refusal.

5. Employer and Workplace Change Rules

• A-3 is agreement/assignment based under official framework.
• Assignment changes should be managed through proper official procedures.
• General public workplace-change rules do not directly apply.
• Record continuity across official documents is critical.

6. Required Documents

• Official-channel application documents and required forms.
• Passport/photo and identity records as required.
• Agreement/treaty basis records and assignment evidence.
• Family relationship records for accompanying dependents.
• Additional official records requested by reviewing authority.

7. Fees and Processing

• A-3 processing follows official channel procedures and timelines.
• Fee treatment may differ and include exemptions per status handling rules.
• Incomplete treaty-basis records are common delay drivers.
• Coordinate through relevant mission/authority channels in advance.

8. Common Rejection Reasons

• Eligibility does not satisfy A-3 agreement/treaty scope.
• Treaty-basis/assignment records are incomplete or inconsistent.
• Filed through incorrect channel for A-3 category.
• Dependent evidence is insufficient where accompanying family applies.
• Identity/official record mismatch blocks verification.

9. FAQ