F-2-T (Top-Tier Residence) Korea Visa Guide | 2026

1. What F-2-T Is

F-2-T is granted to applicants who satisfy the Top-Tier criteria in full. There are two recommending tracks. The advanced-industry (첨단산업) track is recommended by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and is reached with income at 3x per-capita GNI, through a national talent-attraction project, or by decision of the review committee. The science and technology (과학기술) track is verified and recommended by the Minister of Science and ICT — including people recruited under a national overseas-talent attraction project, and people selected by the Top-Tier recommendation review committee — and carries no income requirement.

2. Eligibility Checklist

• Advanced-industry track: meets all Top-Tier criteria, via income at 3x per-capita GNI, a national talent-attraction project, or the review committee.
• Science and technology track: verified and recommended by the Minister of Science and ICT, with no income test applied.
• Science and technology track alternative: recruited under a national overseas-talent attraction project, or selected by the Top-Tier recommendation review committee.
• A representative science-track criterion is five or more years in the field plus, for example, service as a principal investigator or assistant professor or above at a research institute of a top-100 world university.
• Upgrading from E-7-T instead: one year of stay plus income at 2x GNI.
• Upgrading from D-10-T instead: income at 3x GNI, a talent-attraction project, or the review committee.
• Not subject to stay-permit restrictions such as unpaid taxes.

3. Criteria Summary

• F-2-T is not the points-based residence route — do not confuse it with F-2-7.
• Which track you are on decides whether income matters at all: the advanced-industry track uses GNI multiples, the science and technology track is recommendation-only.
• University standing on the science track is judged against six named ranking systems: QS World University Rankings, QS by Subject (Engineering and Technology), Times Higher Education World University Rankings, THE by Subject (Engineering), US News Best Global Universities, and US News Best Global Universities for Engineering.
• Onward route: three years on F-2-T, income at 3x GNI, and level 3 or above of the Social Integration Programme (KIIP) gives 톱티어 영주 (F-5-T).

4. Salary and Contract Rules

• Income tests are multiples of per-capita Gross National Income published by the Bank of Korea, so the won figure changes annually.
• 3x GNI is the advanced-industry entry line, and 3x GNI is also required again at the F-5-T stage.
• The science and technology track applies no income requirement, which is what opens it to professors and public-sector researchers.
• Assessment is comprehensive: the recommendation, the Ministry of Justice's requirements, and any stay-permit restriction are weighed together.

5. Employer and Workplace Change Rules

• Handled by the Top Talent and Investment Support Center at Seoul Immigration, which runs dedicated screening for e-visas, status changes, extensions, workplace changes and registration updates.
• The applicant, or an employer through a corporate Visa Portal account, may file the e-visa; in-country matters go through HiKorea electronically.
• As a residence (거주) status, F-2-T is not tied to a single sponsoring employer the way a work status is.
• Registered holders can obtain an immigration fast-track card for expedited entry and exit, usable alongside accompanying people up to the stated limit.

6. Required Documents

• The recommending ministry's verification and recommendation — MOTIE for advanced industry, MSIT for science and technology.
• Education and career evidence for the applicable track.
• Income evidence at 3x per-capita GNI, where the advanced-industry track is used.
• For the science track, evidence of the qualifying criterion relied on, such as a principal-investigator or assistant-professor appointment at a top-100 world university.
• Evidence that no stay-permit restriction applies.
• Relationship documents for any accompanying family.

7. Fees and Processing

• Overseas applicants receive an electronic visa; short-stay holders and registered residents change status in person or electronically.
• Spouses and children follow the same channels; parents and a domestic helper abroad apply by e-visa.
• The dedicated unit exists specifically to shorten handling time for this programme.
• The ministry recommendation is the gating step and should be secured before filing.

8. Common Rejection Reasons

• No qualifying ministry recommendation for either track.
• Advanced-industry applicant whose income does not reach 3x GNI and who has no talent-attraction project or committee decision to rely on — that is an E-7-T case at 2x.
• Science-track evidence does not meet any single listed criterion.
• The claimed university does not place in the top 100 of any of the six recognised ranking systems.
• A stay-permit restriction applies, unpaid tax being the guideline's own example.

9. FAQ