F-1-15 (Parent of a Talent, Investor or Student) Korea Visa Guide | 2026

1. What F-1-15 Is

F-1-15 is for the PARENTS of a qualifying inviter. The inviter must hold one of the listed statuses — journalism (D-5), intra-company transfer (D-7), corporate investment (D-8), trade management (D-9), or the professional statuses from professor (E-1) through specific activity (E-7) — and must meet an annual income requirement expressed as a multiple of the previous year's per-capita gross national income. Investors and international students form the other inviter groups the code is built around.

2. Eligibility Checklist

• Satisfies current F-1-15 pathway conditions.
• Relationship and linkage records are complete.
• Support-capacity evidence is sufficient.
• Purpose/duration of stay is coherent.
• No unresolved compliance issues remain.

3. Criteria Summary

• Not points-based.
• Pathway-linkage and support records drive review.
• Cross-document consistency is central.
• Timeline contradictions are common refusal triggers.

4. Salary and Contract Rules

• Not salary-threshold based.
• Support documentation is the core financial evidence.
• Sponsor records should align with declared stay plan.
• Inconsistent support claims increase risk.

5. Employer and Workplace Change Rules

• Not employer-sponsored.
• F-1 activity scope is limited.
• Unauthorized employment can jeopardize status.
• Keep records updated for extensions.

6. Required Documents

• Application form, passport, ARC (if applicable), photo, and fee proof.
• F-1-15 pathway relationship/linkage records.
• Support/livelihood and residence documents.
• Principal-status records where required.
• Additional office-requested verification materials.

7. Fees and Processing

• Fees follow current schedules.
• Processing varies by verification complexity.
• Supplements frequent when linkage evidence is incomplete.
• Use refreshed records for renewal filings.

8. Common Rejection Reasons

• Pathway criteria not satisfied.
• Linkage/support evidence weak or inconsistent.
• Insufficient stay-purpose evidence.
• Unresolved compliance issues.
• Unverifiable core pathway facts.

9. FAQ