Which Korean visa can you get?
Enter your background once. The checker screens it against eleven visa categories, shows exactly what each one still requires, and scores your F-2-7 points-based residence application on the 170-point scale.
This is a screening tool, not a decision. It compares your answers against the published
requirements we hold in data/visa-requirements.json. Immigration officers also assess documents,
employer standing and quota — none of which a calculator can see.
F-2-7 points calculator
The points-based residence visa is the one that removes employer sponsorship. It is scored on 170 points — four common items worth up to 130, plus bonuses capped at 40, with penalties subtracted. The pass mark is 80.
The thing to understand before you start: annual income is worth up to 60 points on its own, more than age, education and Korean ability put together. The table is far more income-driven than most descriptions of it suggest.
D-10 is not a qualifying status. You must hold E-1 to E-7 or D-5 to D-9 to apply, and E-6-2, E-7-2, E-7-3 and E-7-4 are excluded. Job seekers have to convert to a work visa first.
You also need three years of continuous lawful residence on a qualifying status — waived if your annual income reaches ₩40,000,000.
How the screening works
Every visa category in the dataset carries a list of published conditions — a minimum education level, a minimum income, an age band, whether a sponsor is required, and so on. The checker tests your answers against each condition and reports three groups:
- Likely eligible — every condition we hold for that category is satisfied.
- Close — at least half the conditions are met. These are usually the interesting ones, because the gap is often a single document or one more year of experience.
- Unlikely — most conditions are unmet. Shown only in the full list.
What the checker deliberately does not model: the employer-side tests. For an E-7 the sponsoring company has to satisfy a national-to-foreign staffing ratio and show it is financially sound, and for a D-8 the invested capital has to be genuinely remitted from abroad. Those are assessed on the employer's or the company's paperwork, not yours, and they are the most common reason an otherwise-qualified applicant is refused.
Common questions
Does reaching 80 points mean I get the F-2-7?
No. Eighty points makes you eligible to be considered. Regional immigration offices work to an annual quota and rank applicants within it, so a score in the 90s is a materially safer position than one at exactly 80. If you are sitting on 80 or 81, the calculator's improvement panel is worth acting on before you file.
Separately, there are disqualifying grounds that bar an application regardless of score: a sentence of imprisonment within five years, three or more Immigration Act violations within three years totalling ₩5,000,000 or more, and convictions for specified serious offences.
Can I apply for F-2-7 from a D-10?
No. D-10 is not on the eligible-status list. The qualifying statuses are E-1 to E-7 and D-5 to D-9, with E-6-2 and the semi-skilled E-7 sub-types (E-7-2, E-7-3, E-7-4) excluded. In practice that means converting to an E-7 first, then accruing the residence period.
Why does income dominate the score so much?
Because the notice makes it worth up to 60 of the 130 common-item points, against 25 for age, 25 for education and 20 for Korean ability. A person earning ₩100 million scores 60 before anything else is counted; a person earning under ₩30 million scores 10. Two applicants with identical qualifications and a ₩50 million salary gap are 35 points apart.
The practical consequence: if you are short of the mark, a salary increase or a job change is usually a bigger lever than any qualification you could obtain.
Can I get an E-7 without a degree?
Yes, through the experience track: five or more years of documented full-time work in the designated occupation substitutes for the degree. The evidence bar is high — you need employment certificates from each employer stating your role, dates and duties, apostilled or consular-legalised. Pay slips alone are not usually enough.
My degree is in a different field from the job. Is that a problem?
It can be. E-7 occupations carry codes, and the reviewing officer looks for a plausible link between your major and the code. A computer science degree against a software development code is straightforward; a literature degree against the same code is not, and you would generally fall back on the experience track instead.
Does time on a D-4 or H-1 count towards F-2 or F-5?
Generally no. Language-study time (D-4) and working-holiday time (H-1) are excluded from the residence period that counts towards long-term status. Degree study on a D-2 is treated more generously in some sub-categories. This is one of the places where the sub-category detail matters enormously, so check the specific F-5 sub-category you are aiming at.
Where does the point data come from, and how current is it?
From the Ministry of Justice notice published through HiKorea. Our copy is versioned in
data/f27-points.json with a review date. Because the notice is reissued periodically, treat the
numbers as indicative and confirm the current table before you file — the calculator links to the source on
every result.
Not legal advice
This tool provides general information about Korean immigration categories. It is not legal advice, it does not create any professional relationship, and it cannot account for the facts of an individual case. Visa requirements are set by ministerial notice and change without notice.
Verify everything with the authorities before acting:
- HiKorea — the Korea Immigration Service portal, including the current points table
- Korea Immigration Service
- The 1345 Immigration Contact Center, which answers in English