If you have served as a full-time director or higher for 1+ year at a world top-500 company and hold a PhD, you can come to Korea during a vacation or similar period, obtain permanent residency (F-5-11) and return. Under the work experience at a world-class company item, a full-time director or higher position held for 1+ year gives the 30 required points, and a PhD adds 20 for a total of 50. A world top-500 company means one selected within the last 3 years by a leading business publication such as UNCTAD, FORTUNE, FORBES, BUSINESS WEEK (US) and ECONOMIST (UK). With 30+ required points and 50+ in total, you can apply for permanent residency for persons with outstanding ability in a specific field (F-5-11) regardless of how long you have stayed in Korea, and the livelihood (income) requirement is waived. You visit Korea during a vacation or similar period, change your status to permanent residence (F-5-11) at an immigration office, and leave after approval. Vision Administrative Office prepares the documents and files the application for you. From then on, the status is kept as long as you enter Korea once within 2 years of each departure. Timing may vary depending on the review.
What is F-5-11 permanent residency for executives?
F-5-11 is permanent residency granted to people with outstanding ability in a specific field such as science, business, education, culture and arts or sports, as recognized by the Minister of Justice. The required items of its points table include work experience at a world-class company, so an executive of a world top-500 company can work out the required points from position and length of service.
- The livelihood (income) requirement is waived. You do not need to prove income or assets in Korea.
- The basic-knowledge (social integration program) requirement is also waived. You can apply without a Korean test or the integration program.
- With 30+ required points and 50+ points in total, the status can be obtained regardless of your period of stay in Korea.
30 required points: full-time director or higher for 1+ year at a world top-500 company
| Item | Condition |
|---|---|
| Selecting bodies | Leading business publications such as UNCTAD, FORTUNE, FORBES, BUSINESS WEEK (US) and ECONOMIST (UK) |
| Company | A world top-500 company selected by them within the last 3 years |
| Position | Full-time director or higher at that company |
| Length of service | 1 year or more |
| Required points | 30 |
Full names of the selecting bodies: UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), FORTUNE (US business magazine Fortune — the Fortune Global 500), FORBES (US business magazine Forbes), BUSINESS WEEK (US business magazine BusinessWeek, now Bloomberg Businessweek) and ECONOMIST (UK, The Economist).
The 30 points are given for 1+ year of service in a position of full-time director or higher at that company. The company must be on a world top-500 list published by one of these bodies within the last 3 years, and you prove your position, length of service and the company's selection with documents.
If the full-time director (or higher) for 1+ year route does not apply to you, we check your case in an individual consultation.
A PhD adds 20 points for 50
| Item | Points |
|---|---|
| Required: full-time director or higher for 1+ year at a world top-500 company | 30 |
| Optional: doctoral degree | 20 |
| Total | 50 |
To reach 50 you need 20 optional points on top of the 30 required points. A PhD (20 points) is the simplest way to reach 50. Degrees from Korea and abroad both count, but only degrees already obtained.
A master's (15 points) or bachelor's (10 points) alone falls short of 50. We check combinations of degrees and other items in the consultation.
Why you can hold Korean PR without living in Korea
The band of 30+ required points and 50+ in total is defined as "obtainable regardless of period of stay in Korea". There is no condition to have lived in Korea for some years, so an executive working at a head office or branch abroad can apply.
- After approval you can keep working and living abroad.
- A permanent resident who re-enters within 2 years of the day they left is exempt from a re-entry permit. In other words, you must enter Korea at least once within 2 years.
- If you do not enter for more than 2 years, the status is lost. If you will be away longer, extend the re-entry permit at a Korean diplomatic mission (up to 3 months) before the period ends.
- The permanent residence card is valid for 10 years and is reissued before it expires.
How to apply: change your status to permanent residence during a visit to Korea in a vacation or similar period
- In a consultation we confirm the company's top-500 selection, your position and length of service, and education points, and fix the list of supporting documents.
- You obtain the supporting documents abroad: career certificate, evidence of the company's top-500 selection, degree certificate and so on.
- You come to Korea on a short-term visit during a vacation or similar period.
- We file an application for change of status of stay to F-5-11 at the competent immigration office; Vision Administrative Office prepares the papers and files on your behalf.
- After approval you receive the permanent residence card and leave. From then on you keep the status by entering Korea once within 2 years of each departure.
If less than 6 months of your current period of stay remains when you apply, the rule is to extend it first; a status that cannot be extended any further is an exception. What to prepare depends on the status you enter with, so check it before you travel. Among short-term visitors (C-3), even holders of group tourist or guaranteed individual (C-3-2) visas, whose extensions and changes of status are restricted, may be granted an extension of stay or a change of status for unavoidable reasons such as applying for permanent residence or naturalization.
With documents prepared in advance, the process can typically be completed within about two months. Timing may vary depending on the review. We review your vacation and departure dates together.
Government fees and what the review looks at
- Government fees (change of status in Korea): KRW 200,000 for the change of status permit, KRW 35,000 for the permanent residence card
- There is a criminal-record review. For F-5-11 applicants, checking the overseas criminal record certificate may be omitted.
- Additional documents may be requested during the review, and approval is decided after the review.
Another route to 30 points: university professors
If you are a full professor at a university abroad, there is also a route to the 30 required points through world-class research (an SCI-level paper in the last 5 years + 5 years as full professor) or 5 years as full professor at a world top-200 university.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What counts as full-time director or higher?
The points table refers to 1+ year of service in a position of "full-time director or higher" at the company. You prove the position and period with a career certificate, and we check in the consultation, with your documents, whether your position qualifies.
Which companies are world top-500 companies?
Companies selected within the last 3 years as the world top 500 by a leading business publication such as UNCTAD, FORTUNE, FORBES, BUSINESS WEEK (US) and ECONOMIST (UK). For example, if your company appears on a Fortune Global 500 list from the last 3 years, that list is used as evidence.
What if I do not have a PhD?
You need 20 optional points on top of the 30 required points. A PhD gives 20 and reaches 50 directly, but a master's (15) or bachelor's (10) alone falls short. We check combinations of degrees and other items in the consultation.
Can I apply without ever having lived in Korea?
Yes. With 30+ required points and 50+ in total, the status can be obtained regardless of your period of stay in Korea. You visit Korea during a vacation or similar period, change your status to F-5-11 at an immigration office, leave after approval, and keep the status by entering once within 2 years of each departure.
Can I keep working abroad after getting PR?
Yes. If you re-enter within 2 years of the day you left, the status is kept without a re-entry permit. If you stay away more than 2 years the status is lost, so extend the re-entry permit at a Korean diplomatic mission (up to 3 months) before it expires if you will be away longer.
Do I have to prove income or assets in Korea?
No. F-5-11 waives the livelihood requirement, so no income or asset proof is needed. The basic-knowledge (integration program) requirement is also waived.
If my points qualify, will I definitely be approved?
Approval is decided after the review. There is a criminal-record review and extra documents may be requested, so it is important to submit complete supporting documents.
Check whether your career qualifies first
Tell us your company, position, years of service and degree, and we will review your points and a schedule for your visit to Korea.
Request a consultation →📞 +82-2-363-2251Written by Lee Won-Jung (이원중), Administrative Agent · Vision Administrative Office