F-2-12 (Public-Business Investment Resident) Korea Visa Guide | 2026

1. What F-2-12 Is

F-2-12 is the residence code for foreign nationals investing in PUBLIC-INTEREST BUSINESS, forming a group with F-2-13 and F-2-14. Residence is granted to an investor — or to the officers and shareholders of an investing corporation — who has completed investment at or above the threshold the Minister of Justice has set, together with accompanying family. Maintaining that investment for the qualifying number of years on residence status is what opens the permanent-residence routes F-5-21 and, for the retirement-immigration variant with domestic assets, F-5-23.

2. Eligibility Checklist

• Applicant meets current F-2-12 pathway conditions.
• Pathway and status-history records are complete and verifiable.
• Support/livelihood evidence is sufficient for requested period.
• No unresolved immigration compliance issues remain.
• Application package reflects current F-2 manual updates.

3. Criteria Summary

• F-2-12 is not a general points-track category.
• Review is pathway-fit and continuity based.
• Consistency across identity/status records is essential.
• Weak pathway evidence often leads to supplements/refusal.

4. Salary and Contract Rules

• F-2-12 is not primarily salary-threshold reviewed.
• Financial/support stability is a key consideration.
• If income records are filed, maintain cross-document consistency.
• Inconsistent income/status history raises review risk.

5. Employer and Workplace Change Rules

• F-2-12 is resident-pathway based, not employer-sponsored.
• Permitted activities follow resident-status rules under current law.
• Material circumstance changes may require reporting.
• Maintain accurate documentation for renewal and future upgrades.

6. Required Documents

• Application form, passport, ARC (if applicable), photo, and fee proof.
• F-2-12 pathway evidence and status-history records.
• Livelihood/income/support documents as required.
• Residence/family linkage documents where applicable.
• Additional office-requested case documents.

7. Fees and Processing

• Fees follow current issuance/change/extension schedules.
• Processing depends on pathway complexity and record quality.
• Supplements are frequent where status timeline is unclear.
• File extensions before expiry with complete continuity records.

8. Common Rejection Reasons

• Pathway facts do not satisfy F-2-12 criteria.
• Eligibility or status-history evidence is incomplete.
• Livelihood/support documents are insufficient.
• Compliance issues remain unresolved.
• Review office cannot verify core pathway facts.

9. FAQ