F-5-T (Top-Tier Permanent Residence) Korea Visa Guide | 2026

1. What F-5-T Is

F-5-T is granted to a 톱티어 거주 (F-2-T) holder who has held that status for three years, has income of at least three times per-capita GNI, and has completed level 3 or above of the Social Integration Programme (사회통합프로그램, KIIP). Those three conditions are the whole test as set out in the programme's status ladder.

2. Eligibility Checklist

• Three years of stay on 톱티어 거주 (F-2-T).
• Income of at least 3x per-capita Gross National Income.
• Completion of level 3 or above of the Social Integration Programme (KIIP).
• No applicable stay-permit restriction, such as unpaid taxes.
• The F-2-T status itself was properly granted under either the advanced-industry or the science and technology track.

3. Criteria Summary

• F-5-T is reached from F-2-T directly. There is no F-2-7 or points-based stage in between — this is the single most misunderstood point about the programme.
• All three conditions are cumulative: time on status, income multiple, and the KIIP level.
• The KIIP requirement is the one that needs planning ahead, since the programme takes time to complete.
• Because the income test recurs here at 3x GNI, science-track holders who entered F-2-T with no income test do face an income requirement at the permanent-residence stage.

4. Salary and Contract Rules

• The 3x per-capita GNI test is applied again at this stage, against the Bank of Korea's published figure.
• The threshold is a multiple rather than a fixed amount, so the won figure changes annually — check the current year before filing.
• Income evidence should cover the qualifying period rather than a single point in time.
• Entering F-2-T through the science and technology track does not exempt an applicant from the income test at F-5-T.

5. Employer and Workplace Change Rules

• As permanent residence, F-5-T is not tied to a sponsoring employer.
• Applications are handled by the Top Talent and Investment Support Center at Seoul Immigration.
• In-country business is filed electronically through HiKorea; applicants abroad use the electronic visa channel.
• Registered holders remain eligible for the immigration fast-track card.

6. Required Documents

• Evidence of three years of stay on F-2-T.
• Income evidence at 3x per-capita GNI.
• Proof of completing Social Integration Programme level 3 or above.
• Evidence that no stay-permit restriction applies.
• Relationship documents for any accompanying family.

7. Fees and Processing

• Filed through the Top Talent and Investment Support Center at Seoul Immigration rather than the ordinary office queue.
• In-country applications go through HiKorea electronically; applicants abroad use the electronic visa channel.
• Plan the Social Integration Programme well ahead — level 3 takes time to complete and gates the whole application.
• Documents issued abroad generally need an apostille or consular confirmation with a translation attached.

8. Common Rejection Reasons

• Less than three years of stay on F-2-T.
• Income below 3x per-capita GNI for the year of application.
• Social Integration Programme level 3 not yet completed.
• A stay-permit restriction applies — unpaid tax is the guideline's stated example.
• Applying from a status other than F-2-T, which is the only route this permanent-residence category is built on.

9. FAQ