F-6-1 (Spouse of Korean National) Korea Visa Guide | 2026

1. What F-6-1 Is

F-6-1 (국민의 배우자) is for a foreign national whose marriage to a Korean citizen is validly established in BOTH countries and who wishes to remain in Korea to continue married life. Its defining practical feature is employment: F-6 is NOT subject to the employment restrictions that attach to other status categories, so a holder may work without the activity-outside-status permission other family statuses require. The other two F-6 codes cover what happens when the marriage ends — F-6-2 where you are raising the child, F-6-3 where the marriage ended through death, disappearance or another cause not your fault.

2. Eligibility Checklist

• Has legally valid marriage to a Korean national with acceptable registration evidence.
• Meets current financial/living support and household conditions under F-6-1 guidance.
• Provides required language/integration evidence where currently required.
• Can prove relationship authenticity and continuity with consistent documentary evidence.
• No unresolved immigration or legal issues that materially affect family-status credibility.

3. Criteria Summary

• F-6-1 is not a K-point status.
• Review emphasizes marriage authenticity, household stability, and compliance evidence.
• Revision logs show periodic updates to F-6 income/language handling and family-related conditions.
• Always verify latest F-6 policy updates before initial filing or extension.

4. Salary and Contract Rules

• F-6-1 is family-based, not employer salary-threshold status.
• However, household financial sufficiency and support evidence are core review elements.
• Income documents should be consistent across tax/employment/household records.
• Insufficient or inconsistent financial evidence is a common refusal/extension-risk factor.

5. Employer and Workplace Change Rules

• F-6-1 itself is not employer-sponsored.
• Holder work activity is generally broader than employer-tied visas, subject to lawful scope.
• If applicant changed from prior employer-tied status, past reporting compliance is still relevant.
• Household-status changes (separation/divorce/child-care circumstances) can affect pathway handling and must be managed correctly.

6. Required Documents

• Application set (form, passport, ARC/entry docs, photo, fee proof).
• Marriage and family relationship documents required under current F-6-1 guidance.
• Household financial/living support evidence (income, residence, supporting records).
• Language/integration documents where applicable under current rules.
• Additional authenticity/compliance documents requested by reviewing office.

7. Fees and Processing

• F-6 issuance/change/extension fees follow official fee schedules in manuals.
• Processing varies by office load and complexity of family-authenticity review.
• Marriage-authenticity or household-document gaps commonly lead to supplement requests.
• Pre-filing consistency check across all family/civil records significantly reduces delay risk.

8. Common Rejection Reasons

• Marriage authenticity evidence is weak, inconsistent, or incomplete.
• Household financial/living support criteria are not sufficiently proven.
• Required language/integration documents are missing or do not meet current standard.
• Prior immigration/legal compliance issues undermine case credibility.
• Application relies on outdated F-6 assumptions after policy revisions.

9. FAQ