K-STAR Visa Track: From Master's/PhD to Permanent Residency in 3 Steps

Overview

The K-STAR (Korea-Science & Technology Advanced Human-Resources) Visa Track is a Ministry of Justice program run with universities to attract science and technology talent trained with Korean public funds and keep them from leaving. It targets master's and PhD holders of universities selected by the Minister of Justice. After graduating, they can receive a residence status first, even without a job, and then move on to permanent residence or special naturalization. It took effect on February 27, 2026.

There are three steps. (1) A master's or PhD student at a participating university (D-2 etc.) earns the degree and gets a recommendation letter from the university president. (2) The graduate receives K-STAR Residence (F-2-7S) and may stay up to 5 years. (3) After 3 years in that status, meeting the points requirement leads to K-STAR Permanent Residence (F-5-S1), or special naturalization for those with outstanding research results. This article sets out the target group, requirements and documents of each step, family stay, and points to weigh before applying.

At a Glance

Scope of Activity

• Who can apply for K-STAR Residence (F-2-7S): a person expected to earn a master's at a selected university or within 1 year after earning it / a PhD student or course completer, or within 1 year after earning the PhD / a person who earned a PhD at a selected university and is doing science and technology research there as a postdoctoral researcher
• For integrated master's-PhD students: counted as PhD students once they have completed master's-level coursework and are enrolled in the PhD-level part
• On employment: no employment in a restricted field within 3 years before applying, and none in an occupation that could harm the domestic labor market or socioeconomic order within 6 months before applying (decided case by case)
• Not covered: each university's criteria for issuing the recommendation letter, how individual research output is scored, and case-by-case outcome forecasts

Who Qualifies

• International students (D-2 etc.) enrolled in science and technology master's or PhD programs at the 32 selected universities, or about to graduate
• Graduates of a selected university who want to keep staying in Korea before getting a job
• Foreign researchers working as postdoctoral researchers at a selected university
• People who have stayed in F-2-7S for 3 or more years and are preparing for K-STAR Permanent Residence (F-5-S1) or special naturalization, or selected-university master's/PhD holders with 3 or more years in points-based F-2-7
• University international-office and lab staff who guide foreign graduate students on their visa path

Required Documents

• K-STAR Residence (F-2-7S), common documents: application form, passport, ARC, photo, fee, proof of residence, overseas criminal record certificate (for an extension, only after 6 months or more abroad), tuberculosis diagnosis (where applicable), recommendation letter from the university president (valid for 1 year from issue)
• Degree-related: certificate of (expected) master's or PhD degree, or of (expected) graduation. Integrated master's-PhD: proof of completing the master's part plus an enrollment certificate for the PhD-level part; PhD course completers: certificate of completion (completers and integrated-program students may omit the degree certificate)
• Postdoctoral researchers: PhD degree or graduation certificate, and proof that you are doing research as a postdoctoral researcher in an official capacity at the selected university
• K-STAR Permanent Residence (F-5-S1), basic documents: application form, passport, ARC, fee (revenue stamp), proof of residence, overseas criminal record certificate, letter of guarantee, plus a score sheet filled in by the applicant and proof for each scored item
• Special naturalization for talent: all documents for a naturalization application under Article 3 of the Nationality Act Enforcement Rules, a detailed description of the applicant's achievements with supporting evidence, and the bonus-item score sheet with evidence (where applicable)

Application Process

1. Check eligibility — confirm your current status, career, degree and contract type match the requirements.
2. Prepare documents — foreign public documents need a translator's certification plus an apostille (or consular confirmation for non-member states).
3. Book a visit — reserve a slot at your Immigration Office via HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr), or file online where e-Application is available.
4. File and pay — submit the Integrated Application Form (Form No. 34) and pay the screening fee.
5. Review — respond to any request for supplementary documents within the deadline.
6. Result — on approval, the period of stay and status are granted; reissue your ARC if required.

Key Points

• The K-STAR Permanent Residence (F-5-S1) points test is out of 200 (150 basic points: education 30, research career 60, research output 60; 50 bonus points: Korean language, annual income, regional residence, volunteering and recommendation, 10 each), and you need at least 90 points. Education is 20 points for a master's and 30 for a PhD; research career runs from 30 points for 1 to under 2 years up to 60 for 4 years or more; research output counts papers and patents from the 5 years before applying, to a combined maximum of 60. If your research career or output is a little short, bonus items such as Korean language and regional residence give a chance to make up the points.
• Bonus item standards: Korean language gives up to 10 points for KIIP Level 5 or TOPIK Level 5 (KIIP Level 1 and beginner Level 1 earn 1 point); annual income runs from 10 points at KRW 50 million or more down to 5 points at minimum wage or above; volunteering within 3 years of applying gives 10 points for 150 hours or more, 7 for 100 hours and 5 for 50 hours; a recommendation gives 10 points from the head of a central government agency, 7 from a 4-year university president and similar, and 5 from the head of a KOSDAQ-listed company; living outside the Seoul metropolitan area for 3 or more years gives 5 points, with 5 more if it is a population-decline area. Immigration Act violations and criminal penalties together deduct at most 10 points.
• Falling under the good-conduct disqualifications makes an application hard. At the Residence (F-2-7S) stage, for example, disqualifying grounds include a sentence of imprisonment or heavier within 5 years (including suspended), 3 or more Immigration Act violations within 3 years with fines totaling KRW 5 million or more, a fine of KRW 3 million or more within 3 years, and submitting false documents within the past 3 years. If there is a violation record that is not a disqualification, you may be required to take the law-abiding citizen education.
• Livelihood ability and basic literacy are not asked separately; they are replaced by the Korean-language and annual-income items on the K-STAR points sheet. Special naturalization goes through the Nationality Review Committee and an interview, and basic competence such as Korean ability and understanding of Korean customs is recognized by passing the interview.
• The stay period under K-STAR Residence (F-2-7S) is up to 3 years per grant and 5 years at most. When the main holder, after 5 years in F-2-7S, changes to points-based Residence (F-2-7), K-STAR Permanent Residence (F-5-S1) or an employment status, the family (F-2-71) is also changed according to the new status. Whether a university is selected, any revision after the date of this article, and how it applies to your case should be confirmed with your Immigration Office.
• Documents issued in Korea must normally be dated within 3 months unless another validity period applies.
• Documents already on file in your alien registration record need not be resubmitted.
• Health certificates, drug test results and pre-employment medical reports must be submitted sealed by the issuing hospital (do not open).
• You must be in Korea when applying; leaving the country after filing may result in refusal.
• Screening fees are non-refundable once the application is accepted.
• The head of the Immigration Office may add or waive documents where necessary for review.

Frequently Asked Questions

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