G-1-9 (Pregnancy/Childbirth Humanitarian Consideration) Korea Visa Guide | 2026

1. What G-1-9 Is

G-1-9 is for a foreigner for whom immediate departure from Korea is difficult because of pregnancy, childbirth, or similar circumstances requiring unavoidable humanitarian consideration ('임신·출산 등으로 즉시 출국이 곤란한 자'). Required proof is a medical diagnosis or similar document establishing the reason.

2. Eligibility Checklist

• Eligibility text is narrow — 'immediate departure is difficult due to pregnancy, childbirth, etc.' — no other qualifying conditions are listed under this item.
• Interesting asymmetry visible in the text: the INITIAL issuance grant is described in years ('체류기간 [ ]년 부여'), while the RENEWAL/extension grant is described in months ('[ ]월 범위 내에서 체류기간 연장허가') — i.e., the first grant appears to be a longer, year-scale period and subsequent extensions are shorter, month-scale periods (exact digits not recoverable).
• Required documents: a diagnosis/certificate proving the reason, plus a 신원보증서 (identity/sponsorship guarantee) — notably no family-member provision is listed for this code, unlike G-1-1, G-1-2, G-1-11, and G-1-12.

3. Criteria Summary

• G-1-9 is not a points-based category.
• The definition above is taken from the manual's own wording for this code.
• Numeric thresholds, stay periods and fees are set in the manual's tables and annexes and are deliberately not reproduced here — confirm the current figures before filing.
• Where a rule depends on another status, check that status's own criteria too; several of these codes take their conditions from a principal holder.

4. Salary and Contract Rules

• The manual does not attach a salary or contract framework to this code specifically.
• Where income or financial capacity is assessed, it is evidenced with the documents named under that requirement rather than against a published floor.
• If your circumstances involve employment, verify separately whether this status authorises it — several of these categories do not.
• Do not assume the salary rules of a neighbouring code apply; they are set per status.

5. Employer and Workplace Change Rules

• Employer sponsorship is not the organising basis of this code.
• Any economic activity must fall within what the status authorises; where it does not, activity-outside-status permission is the mechanism.
• Report changes of circumstance that bear on the ground for the status.
• Keep the evidence that established eligibility available for extension reviews.

6. Required Documents

• Application form, passport, standard photograph and the fee.
• Evidence establishing the ground on which this status is claimed, as described above.
• Residence and identity documents as required at the counter.
• Any further documents the reviewing office considers necessary.

7. Fees and Processing

• Fees follow the published schedule for the application type rather than the subtype.
• Processing time varies by office workload and by how clearly the qualifying ground is evidenced.
• Where a principal holder's status governs the period granted, the principal's expiry date is the practical constraint.
• Apply with margin before any existing permission expires.

8. Common Rejection Reasons

• The qualifying ground for this specific code is not established by the evidence.
• The circumstances fit a neighbouring code better, making this a category mismatch.
• Supporting documents are incomplete, inconsistent, or out of date.
• An underlying condition the status depends on has ceased to apply.
• Unresolved immigration compliance history.

9. FAQ