F-4 vs F-5 Visa Korea — Overseas Korean vs Permanent Resident

F-4 is available to foreign nationals who: ① personally held Korean nationality before obtaining foreign citizenship, OR ② whose parent or grandparent (in the direct lineage) held Korean nationality. The relevant law is the 재외동포의 출입국과 법적 지위에 관한 법률 (Overseas Koreans Act). In practice, this covers ethnic Korean communities globally: Korean-Americans, Korean-Australians, Korean-Japanese (재일교포), Korean-Chinese (조선족), Koryo-saram (고려인 from CIS countries), Korean-Brazilians, and others. Individuals of Korean ancestry further than the grandparent line generally do not qualify under current law, though there are ongoing policy discussions about expanding eligibility.

F-4 provides broad work rights but with some restrictions intended to protect the Korean labour market. F-4 holders may NOT work in: unskilled manual labour (단순노무), certain entertainment sectors, and other designated restricted occupations. Within the permitted range, F-4 allows professional work, business operation, and most white-collar employment without additional permits. The specific restricted occupation list is updated periodically — check the Ministry of Justice website or confirm with an 행정사 if you are unsure about a specific role.

The most common F-4 → F-5 route: ① Accumulate 5 years of continuous lawful residence in Korea (must be on legal status throughout — gaps or overstays reset the clock) ② Meet the income threshold (typically 기준 중위소득 for your household size) ③ Pass basic Korean language (TOPIK Level 1 minimum, though higher is better) ④ No significant criminal record ⑤ Demonstrate genuine life base in Korea. Apply at your local immigration office (출입국·외국인청). As an overseas Korean, you may benefit from slightly more favourable processing compared to non-heritage applicants.

No. F-5 is a permanent residency visa, not citizenship. You retain your existing nationality while holding F-5 status in Korea. You only need to make a nationality decision if you later pursue Korean naturalization (귀화), which does require renouncing your foreign citizenship (Korea does not generally permit dual citizenship for adult voluntary immigrants, with specific exceptions for those aged 65+ and involuntary cases). Many → F-5 holders are content with permanent residency and never apply for naturalization.