Does F-2-7 allow changing jobs freely?
F-2-7 is generally much more flexible than employer-tied E visas, but lawful activity and reporting obligations still apply.
Mr. Visa Korea • PSEO Subtype
F-2-7 (Points-Based Resident) Korea Visa Guide | 2026
F-2-7 is Korea's points-based long-term resident status for qualified foreign residents. This page is structured from the 2026 Ministry/KIS manuals and focuses on practical in-country filing and renewal conditions.
View parent visa: F-2 — Resident Visa
1. What F-2-7 Is
F-2-7 (우수인재 거주) is a points-based residency status under F-2. It is used by qualified residents who meet score, income, and compliance requirements, and it is often a bridge to F-5 permanent residency.
2. Eligibility Checklist
- Holds a qualifying current status and lawful stay record for in-country F-2-7 filing.
- Meets the current-year F-2-7 points threshold under immigration/KIS criteria.
- Has sufficient income and supporting financial/tax evidence for the review period.
- Maintains clean immigration compliance (overstay/major violation history is heavily weighted).
- Submits under the latest F-2-7 guidance (revision-log updates can change required criteria).
3. Criteria Summary
- F-2-7 uses a points framework that typically evaluates age, education, income, Korean ability/social integration, and residence history.
- Manual updates show criteria tuning over time (including extension-related item changes in the revision log).
- Supporting evidence quality matters as much as nominal score; missing proof often triggers supplement requests.
- Annual notices and operation guidance should be checked before filing because practical scoring emphasis can shift.
4. Salary and Contract Rules
- F-2-7 is not tied to one employer like E-series work visas, but income evidence remains a core screening factor.
- Review commonly uses tax/income documentation consistency across declared income and status history.
- If income is volatile or recently changed, additional explanatory evidence is commonly requested.
- For future F-5 planning, stable income and compliance continuity under F-2-7 are strategically important.
5. Employer and Workplace Change Rules
- F-2-7 generally provides broader work flexibility than employer-sponsored statuses, but activity must remain lawful.
- YOUR INCOME DECIDES WHETHER YOUR FAMILY CAN WORK. Where the F-2-7 holder meets the annual income requirement, accompanying family can hold residence (F-2) status and take employment. Where the holder does not meet it, family stay on visiting/cohabitation (F-1) instead, and employment and profit-making activity are prohibited for them.
- Three exceptions to that bar, available by obtaining activity-outside-status permission IN ADVANCE: qualifying as a foreign-language conversation instructor (E-2), a foreign-school teacher (E-7), or a proofreader (E-7) at a government body or public organisation.
- Employment in a restricted field can cost you the status, not just the job: gambling businesses, 단란주점 and 유흥주점 establishments, businesses offending public morals, and premises designated off-limits to young people can lead to refusal of an extension or cancellation of the stay permission.
- Workplace/employment changes still require correct immigration reporting where applicable.
- Prior status-to-status transitions are reviewed; unexplained activity gaps can hurt approval/renewal outcomes.
6. Required Documents
- Integrated application form + passport + ARC + photo + applicable fee proof.
- Points-related evidence package (education, language/social integration, residence, and supporting records).
- Income/tax proofs covering the required evaluation period.
- Any status-transition supporting documents from prior visa category where requested.
- Additional office-specific evidence if the reviewing immigration office asks for supplements.
7. Fees and Processing
- In-country status change/extension fees follow the standard stay-fee table in the stay manual.
- Processing varies by office workload and document completeness.
- Incomplete points or income evidence often converts into supplement cycles and longer timelines.
- Renewal timing should be planned early to avoid last-minute risk around expiry windows.
8. Common Rejection Reasons
- Points evidence does not support claimed score under current-year criteria.
- Income/tax documents are insufficient, inconsistent, or below practical review expectations.
- Prior immigration compliance issues (overstay, unreported changes, unresolved irregularities).
- Filed with outdated assumptions after policy/revision updates.
- Key mandatory documents omitted or not acceptable for evidentiary standards.
9. FAQ
Is F-2-7 a permanent residency status?
No. F-2-7 is long-term residency, not permanent residency. Many holders use it as a pathway toward F-5 after meeting additional conditions.
Can I apply for F-2-7 with only a high score and no income proof?
In practice, no. Income/tax evidence is a core part of F-2-7 review and should be documented carefully.
Can my spouse work if I hold F-2-7?
It depends on YOUR income. If you meet the annual income requirement, your family can hold residence (F-2) status and work. If you do not, they stay on visiting/cohabitation (F-1), which bars employment and profit-making activity — except that a qualifying foreign-language conversation instructor (E-2), foreign-school teacher (E-7), or proofreader (E-7) at a government or public body can work after obtaining activity-outside-status permission in advance.
My child was born in Korea while I was on F-2-7. What status do they get?
Where the F-2-7 holder's annual income is below per-capita national income, the Korean-born minor child is granted visiting/cohabitation (F-1) status, provided all other conditions are met. F-2-7S holders have a window of five years from the date the inviting party's status change was approved during which the Korean-born child is granted F-2-71 irrespective of the income condition; after that the income test is applied, and F-1-12 is granted where it is not met.
I am on a short-stay visa and my baby was born in Korea. Same thing?
No. Where the parent entered on a short-stay status (B-1, B-2 or C-3), a long-term status is not granted to the child born in Korea — the family must leave and re-enter on the appropriate visa.
Is F-2-7 the same as the Top-Tier F-2-T status?
No. F-2-7 is the ordinary points-based residence route. F-2-T is the Top-Tier residence status for advanced-industry and science talent, granted on a ministry recommendation, and it reaches permanent residence directly without a points-based step.
Are F-2-7 rules stable year to year?
They can change through guideline revisions and yearly operation updates, so always confirm current criteria before filing.
10. Last Verified From Official Manual
Last verified: 2026-07-27
- • Primary support: the 점수제 우수인재(F-2-7) sections of the stay-management manual — the activity-permission rules governing whether accompanying family may work, the restricted-employment fields that can cost the status, and the treatment of children born in Korea including the F-2-7S five-year window.
- • The points table itself is set by annual operation guidance rather than reproduced here; confirm the current year's threshold and item weights before filing.
- • This page provides operational guidance only, not legal advice. Reviewing officers may request additional documents.
Internal review revision log
Internal visa issuance guidance
Internal stay and residence guidance
11. Subtype-Specific Filing Notes
- Score claims should be evidence-first; do not submit with placeholder proof.
- Prepare a clean income/tax continuity narrative for the review period.
- Address any prior reporting gaps before filing to reduce extension risk.