F-2-7 Points-Based Resident Visa
A scored residence permit for professionals already inside the Korean system, and the hinge between a work visa and permanent residence.
F-2-7 matters for one reason: it is the first status that is not tied to an employer. You can change jobs, work for a Korean company of any size, or be self-employed. That freedom is why people pay attention to it, and it is also why the scoring is strict.
Two corrections to what is widely published. First, it is a residence status, not permanent residence: it expires and it can be lost. Second, three years on F-2-7 is necessary for F-5-16 but not sufficient, because the conversion has its own score and income review.
Programme snapshot
| Item | Current rule |
|---|---|
| Main audience | People already in Korea on E-1 to E-7-1 or D-5 to D-9, Korean graduates, high-tech industry workers |
| Route family | Skilled work |
| Validity | 1, 2, 3 or 5 years, set by your score |
| Stay per entry | Matches the grant |
| Threshold | 80 points out of 170; no fixed income floor, but most categories need 1.5x GNI or 3 years in a professional status |
| Renewal | Renewable while score and income hold |
| Settlement | Direct |
| PR clock | 3 continuous years on F-2-7 opens F-5-16 |
| Citizenship clock | 5 years of continuous residence including the F-2 period, plus language and civics |
| Family | Spouse may receive F-2-71 with work rights if the household income threshold is met |
| Local employment | Yes, any employer and most self-employment |
| Tax headline | Resident taxation on worldwide income after 183 days; Korean employment income taxed at source |
| Processing | 4 to 8 weeks |
The three-year residence requirement is waived if you can document KRW 40,000,000 of prior Korean income. That waiver is the difference between qualifying in year one and waiting until year four, and the income has to appear on a tax certificate rather than a contract.
Application flow
- Confirm you hold a qualifying status: E-1 to E-7-1, or D-5 to D-9.
- Assemble the score evidence: age, degree, TOPIK level, Korean income from the tax certificate, and any bonus items.
- Check whether the three-year stay is waived by KRW 40,000,000 of documented income.
- Apply at the local immigration office with the score sheet and supporting documents.
- Receive a grant of 1, 2, 3 or 5 years depending on the total.
- Renew before expiry, re-testing score and income.
- After 3 continuous years, apply for F-5-16.
Good fit
An E-7 professional in their thirties with a Korean degree or TOPIK 5 and a documented Korean salary, who wants to stop being tied to one employer. It also suits a Korean university graduate who moved from D-10 into E-7 and has been paying tax in Korea for a few years.
Poor fit
Someone with no Korean income history, no Korean language ability and a non-STEM degree. The scoring rewards all three, and the shortfall is usually large rather than marginal. Applicants over 50 start at 3 points for age and rarely reach 80 without a PhD or TOPIK 6.
Watchpoints
- Age dominates the score. The table is weighted heavily to younger applicants. A strong CV at 52 does not compensate for the age points lost, and this is the most common reason a well-qualified long-term resident never makes it.
- The three-year waiver is evidence-based. KRW 40,000,000 of prior Korean income waives the stay requirement, but only if it is already on a tax certificate. Cash, overseas salary and promised bonuses do not count.
- E-7-2, E-7-3 and E-7-4 are excluded. The lower-tier work statuses do not qualify under the professional track, even though they are E-7.
- F-2-7 is not permanent residence. It must be renewed, and it can be lost if income lapses or you spend too long outside Korea.
- F-5-16 after three years has its own review. The conversion re-tests score and income at a higher bar, so three clean years on F-2-7 does not guarantee the next step.
- The points table is not published as a single official English document. The 80 of 170 figure and the category weights come from the August 2026 Ministry of Justice manual as summarised in secondary guides. Confirm your score with the immigration office before applying.
Sources
- Korea Immigration Service, F-2 status guidance, checked 2026-10-22
- Ministry of Justice stay guide, August 2026 edition, points table as summarised in secondary sources rather than read directly
- Per-capita GNI of KRW 52,410,000 for 2025, used for the 1.5x reference