- Pass mark: 80 points or more, on a scale that recognizes up to 170 points (130 from four common items plus up to 40 bonus points).
- Common items: age (max 25), education (max 25), Korean ability (max 20) and annual income (max 60).
- Adjustments: bonus points are capped at +40 and deductions at -70; degree bonuses do not stack.
- Cut-off dates: age is counted at the filing date; income comes from the latest tax office income certificate; violations are looked back 3 to 5 years.
- At extension: the score is checked again and grades the stay period from 1 to 5 years.
To calculate your F-2-7 points, add the four common items (age, education, Korean ability and annual income, up to 130 points), add bonus points of up to 40, subtract any deductions, and check that the total is at least 80 on the date you file. The five-step self-check in section 8 walks through it.
This guide is the scoring companion to our F-2-7 visa overview. It explains how each item of the F-2-7 points table is measured, what the bonus and deduction rules really say, how the numbers add up in practice, and what your score means when you extend. The overview page covers applicant categories, documents and the filing procedure, and it has an interactive score calculator you can use once you have read the rules below.
1. How the F-2-7 Score Works
F-2-7 is the points-based sub-category of Korea's F-2 (residence) status. In the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act (Annex 1-2, item 24, sub-item "ja"), it covers people whose age, education, income and similar factors meet the standard set by Ministry of Justice notice. The detailed standard is published in the Ministry's residence manual, and the score sheet in that manual is what an immigration officer applies to your application.
| Item | Maximum | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 25 | Birth date in your passport, as of the filing date |
| Education | 25 | Degree certificate whose issuance can be confirmed with the issuing institution |
| Korean ability | 20 | TOPIK level or KIIP stage completed |
| Annual income | 60 | Taxable income on the latest income certificate from the tax office |
| Bonus points | +40 (cap) | Recommendations, KIIP stage 5, university ranking or Korean degree, volunteering |
| Deductions | -70 (cap) | Immigration Act and criminal-law penalties within the look-back periods |
The four common items add up to 130 points. Add the 40-point bonus cap and the scale reaches the 170 points the manual recognizes. You pass the score test at 80 or more after bonus points are added and deductions are subtracted.
The score is worked out as of your filing date. Every item below can change between now and then: you may pass a birthday band, receive a new income certificate, take a TOPIK exam or complete another KIIP stage. Recalculate before you file.
2. Age Points (Max 25)
| Age at filing date | Points |
|---|---|
| 18 to 24 | 23 |
| 25 to 29 | 25 |
| 30 to 34 | 23 |
| 35 to 39 | 20 |
| 40 to 44 | 12 |
| 45 to 50 | 8 |
| 51 or older | 3 |
Age is the one item you cannot improve, but it decides how much room you need elsewhere. The largest single drop is at 40 (from 20 to 12 points), followed by the drop at 51 (from 8 to 3). Someone who turns 40 shortly before filing gives up 8 points. If you are close to a band boundary, work out how many points you need from the other items on the day you actually plan to file.
3. Education Points (Max 25)
| Highest degree | STEM field, or two or more degrees at that level | Other fields |
|---|---|---|
| Doctorate | 25 | 20 |
| Master's | 20 | 17 |
| Bachelor's | 17 | 15 |
| Associate degree | 15 (STEM) | 10 |
- A completion certificate without a degree does not count. The degree certificate counts only when its issuance can be confirmed through the institution that issued it.
- Holding two or more degrees at the same level scores at the higher STEM column regardless of field.
- Documents issued abroad need an apostille or consular confirmation from a Korean mission, with a Korean or English translation, and are valid for 3 months from the issue date (manual rule for foreign-issued documents).
Which fields count as STEM is decided by the immigration office from your degree records; if your degree is interdisciplinary, ask before assuming the higher column applies.
4. Korean Ability Points (Max 20)
| Level | Points |
|---|---|
| TOPIK level 5 or higher, or KIIP stage 5 | 20 |
| TOPIK level 4, or KIIP stage 4 | 15 |
| TOPIK level 3, or KIIP stage 3 | 10 |
| TOPIK level 2, or KIIP stage 2 | 5 |
| TOPIK level 1, or KIIP stage 1 | 3 |
The manual takes the score from the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) or from the stage you completed in the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP), which is confirmed through the KIIP information network (socinet.go.kr). You do not need both, and the manual sets no separate Korean-language requirement; the item can also be left at 0.
KIIP stage 5 has a second use: completing the stage 5 basic course or higher also earns a separate 10-point bonus (see the bonus section). The tables list the two items separately, so a stage 5 completer can score both.
5. Annual Income Points (Max 60)
Income is the heaviest item. Points step up as taxable income rises:
| Annual income (KRW) | Points |
|---|---|
| 100 million or more | 60 |
| 90 million to under 100 million | 58 |
| 80 million to under 90 million | 56 |
| 70 million to under 80 million | 53 |
| 60 million to under 70 million | 50 |
| 50 million to under 60 million | 45 |
| 40 million to under 50 million | 40 |
| 30 million to under 40 million | 30 |
| Minimum wage to under 30 million | 10 |
| Below minimum wage, unemployed, or no income proof submitted | 0 |
- Which figure counts: the taxable income for the most recent year shown on the latest income certificate (issued by the tax office) that you can submit.
- No proof means zero: if you do not submit income documents, are not employed, or earn less than the minimum wage, the item scores 0.
- Minimum wage: the manual does not print a won figure for the "minimum wage" line. Ask the office how it converts the statutory minimum wage to an annual amount before you rely on the 10-point band.
Income also matters after the change of status. At extension, your income score can set the stay period on its own (see the extension section), and for family members to receive F-2-71 status the main holder's income must be at least the previous year's GNI per capita.
6. Bonus Points (Capped at +40)
| Bonus item | Points | What the manual requires |
|---|---|---|
| Korean War veteran-country outstanding talent | 20 | Recommended as outstanding talent from a veteran country by a central administrative agency |
| Central government agency recommendation | 20 | Recommendation letter from a central administrative agency (veteran-country talent can combine both items for 40) |
| KIIP stage 5 completed | 10 | Completed the stage 5 basic course or higher |
| Top-ranked university degree | PhD 30, master's 20, bachelor's 15 | University in the QS World University Rankings top 500 or the Times Higher Education World University Rankings top 200; selection in any one of the five years before filing is enough |
| Korean university degree | PhD 10, master's 7, bachelor's 5 | If you hold bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees from Korean universities, only the highest bonus applies |
| Volunteering, 3 years or more | 7 | A record of at least 18 sessions and 150 hours |
| Volunteering, under 3 years | 5 | A record of at least 12 sessions and 100 hours |
| Volunteering, under 2 years | 1 | A record of at least 6 sessions and 50 hours |
- Total cap: bonus points are recognized up to 40 in total.
- Degrees do not stack: if you hold several degrees that earn a bonus, only the highest-scoring item is counted.
- Volunteering tiers: the tiers are alternatives, not additions. Less than one year of activity earns nothing.
- Veteran-country talent: the full 40 points apply at the change of status. At extension the manual adds 20 points for veteran-country outstanding talent.
7. Deductions (Capped at -70)
| Record | Points | Look-back period |
|---|---|---|
| Immigration Act notification fine of KRW 3 million or more, or a departure order or deportation | -30 | Notification fines: paid within 3 years before filing. Departure or deportation orders: imposed within 5 years before filing |
| Immigration Act notification fine of KRW 1 million to under 3 million | -20 | Paid within 3 years before filing |
| Immigration Act notification fine of KRW 500,000 to under 1 million | -10 | Paid within 3 years before filing |
| Criminal fine of KRW 3 million or more, or a heavier penalty, finalized more than 3 years before filing | -40 | Heavier penalties include imprisonment, confinement and suspended sentences |
| Criminal fine of KRW 2 million to under 3 million | -30 | Applies whatever the date the sentence became final |
| Criminal fine under KRW 2 million | -20 | Applies whatever the date the sentence became final |
- Deduction versus bar: a criminal fine of KRW 3 million or more, or a heavier penalty, that became final within 3 years before the filing date is not a deduction. It makes the change of status impermissible.
- Separate conduct rules still apply: for example, a sentence of imprisonment or heavier (including suspended) within 5 years of filing is a disqualifier, and so is submitting false documents at filing or within the last 3 years. See the screening rules in the overview.
- Cap: total deductions are limited to -70, which is the sum of the largest Immigration Act deduction (-30) and the largest criminal deduction (-40).
Deductions come out of the same total as everything else, so a single 10-point deduction can be the difference between passing and missing the mark. Check your own record first, because it is the item the office verifies independently of what you declare.
8. Worked Examples and a Self-Check Routine
The three examples below are invented for illustration. They use only the bands in the tables above.
| Item | Applicant A | Applicant B | Applicant C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Age 33: 23 | Age 42: 12 | Age 47: 8 |
| Education | Master's, non-STEM: 17 | Bachelor's, non-STEM: 15 | Bachelor's, non-STEM: 15 |
| Korean ability | TOPIK 3: 10 | TOPIK 4: 15 | KIIP stage 5: 20 |
| Annual income | KRW 55 million: 45 | KRW 45 million: 40 | KRW 38 million: 30 |
| Bonus points | 0 | 0 | KIIP stage 5 completed +10, 3+ years of volunteering +7 = +17 |
| Deductions | 0 | Immigration Act notification fine of KRW 600,000: -10 | 0 |
| Total | 95: meets 80 | 72: 8 points short (82 before the deduction) | 90: meets 80 (73 before bonus points) |
Applicant B shows how one small deduction can undo a narrow pass. Applicant C shows how KIIP stage 5 and volunteering can rescue a low age score. Neither example says whether the applicant fits an applicant category; the score is only one gate.
A five-step self-check
- Write down your age on the date you expect to file and read the band from the age table.
- Take your highest degree and check whether it is STEM or whether you hold two degrees at that level.
- Add your best Korean result: TOPIK level or completed KIIP stage.
- Read the annual income line from your latest tax office income certificate, not from your salary contract or bank deposits.
- Add any bonus points you can prove (highest degree bonus only, one volunteering tier), cap the bonus at +40, then subtract deductions from your own record. If the total is 80 or more, move on to the categories, documents and procedure.
You can also test the numbers with the calculator on the overview page. It applies the same bands but does not check applicant categories or disqualifiers.
9. Proving Each Item: Documents and Timing
The manual asks for two score-related documents in addition to the basic filing documents: a score sheet on which you enter the points you claim (Attachment 2), and documents proving each item you claim (Attachment 3). The list below shows what each item is verified against.
| Item | What it is checked against | Timing note |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Birth date in your passport | Counted at the filing date |
| Education | Degree certificate that the issuing institution can confirm; completion without a degree is excluded | Foreign documents: apostille or consular confirmation plus Korean or English translation, valid 3 months from the issue date |
| Korean ability | TOPIK result or KIIP completion stage (confirmed through the KIIP information network) | Use your best result |
| Annual income | Income certificate issued by the tax office | The latest certificate you can submit; the latest year on it counts |
| Bonus points | Recommendation letter, KIIP completion record, degree certificate or volunteering record, as applicable | University-ranking test looks at the five years before filing |
| Deductions | Your Immigration Act and criminal records as held by the authorities | Notification fines by payment date; other look-back periods as in the deductions table |
Do not claim points you cannot document. Submitting false documents at filing, or in the last 3 years, is a disqualifier on its own, and it costs more than the points you were trying to add.
10. Your Score at Extension: Stay Period and Grace Rules
The score test does not end once you hold the visa. At extension the manual checks that you are not disqualified and that your total score is at least 80, and then it grades the stay period by whichever is more favorable to you, your total score or your income score.
| Total score | or income score | Stay period granted |
|---|---|---|
| 130 or more | 50 or more | 5 years |
| 120 to 129 | 45 or more | 3 years |
| 110 to 119 | 40 or more | 2 years |
| 80 to 109 | 30 or less (as printed in the manual) | 1 year |
Grace and exception rules
- Below 80 but working: if you are currently employed and paid at least the minimum wage, a 1-year grace period can be granted.
- Unemployed or income at or below the minimum wage: the office takes a written pledge and can extend twice for 6 months each. If the shortfall continues at the third extension, the extension is refused, and a change to the D-10 job-seeker status (up to 1 year, not extendable) is allowed.
- No income yet, by design: veteran-country outstanding talent receive 3 years, potential-talent holders (F-2-7S) 5 years, and prospective employees who filed a contract 1 year, even with no income during that period.
- Pregnancy, childbirth or parental leave: if income falls short for these reasons, a 1-year grace period can be granted.
- Family: if the main holder's extension is refused, the spouse's and children's extensions are refused too.
The extension review uses the same score table. Working in a restricted sector within 3 years before filing can lead to refusal (or cancellation) of the permit.
11. What the Score Does Not Decide
An 80-point score is necessary, not sufficient. The manual applies four further gates, all explained on the F-2-7 overview page.
- Applicant category: listed-company or promising-industry employee, professional with 3 years of continuous lawful stay (waived at KRW 40 million or more of annual income), study talent, veteran-country talent, or potential talent. See applicant categories.
- Conduct: no imprisonment or heavier sentence within 5 years, no serious foreign convictions, no false documents, and the other conduct rules in the screening section.
- Employment restrictions: no work in a restricted sector within 3 years before filing, and no work in an occupation that could harm the domestic labor market or public order within 6 months.
- Public health: tuberculosis screening under the Ministry's guideline, and no public-health risk such as drug addiction.
E-7-S holders have a special route: after at least 1 year in the negative-list professional status E-7-S and current employment, the F-2-7 points requirement can be waived, provided the E-7-S2 point requirement of 60 (E-7-S1 holders are checked on income only) is met and KIIP stage 3 or higher is completed or assigned.
Government fees
Under Article 72 of the Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act (text in force from September 15, 2026), a change of status costs KRW 100,000 and a stay extension costs KRW 60,000. These are the statutory government fees only; the manual says review fees are not refunded once the application is accepted. Certificates, apostilles and translations cost extra.
From F-2-7 to F-5
Points-based permanent residency (F-5-16) requires continuous F-2-7 stay from 3 years before the filing date through the filing date, no record of entertainment-service work contrary to good morals, and livelihood ability. The Ministry revised its F-5 guidelines on September 18, 2026 and that revision could not be verified for this page, so treat this as the September 1 position. See the F-5 permanent residency guide and the F-5-16 points guide.
12. Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the minimum score for the F-2-7 visa?
Q. Is a TOPIK score mandatory for F-2-7?
Q. Which date is used to calculate my age points?
Q. Which income figure is scored?
Q. Do past fines or violations reduce my score, and for how long?
Q. Do I have to keep 80 points when I extend my stay?
Q. Does reaching 80 points lead to permanent residency?
Q. Is there an F-2-7 points calculator for 2026?
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13. Related Guides and Next Steps
Vision Administrative Office (VISAS KOREA) offers consultations to review your score sheet, check the evidence for each item and confirm your applicant category. We are an administrative scrivener office, and this page gives procedural information rather than legal advice. Request a consultation or call +82-2-363-2251 (Mon-Fri 09:30-17:30 KST).