Questions by situation
Each answer starts with the conclusion, then who it applies to, the documents and the timing. Jump here from “Choose your situation” above.
When should I get the investment maintenance certificate for Korea F-5-21 permanent residency?
It must be issued in the 5 days before your permanent residence filing date. Proof that the investment is maintained is the core F-5-21·F-5-23 document, so getting it too early means reissuing it; the filing date is fixed first and the certificate obtained to match. Prepare a document that shows the standard investment amount has not been withdrawn, like the certificate stamped by the head of the investment-attracting institution used for F-2 extensions.
I cancelled my alien registration and left Korea during my public-interest F-2, then got F-2 again — do the periods add up to 5 years?
Yes. If you fully departed (alien registration cancelled) and later re-acquired the same residence (F-2) and registered again, the investment period before departure and the period after re-acquisition are added toward 5 years. The test is 5 years of maintained investment, not 5 years of stay, and the investment maintenance proof shows you did not withdraw the standard amount in between.
How do I prove the KRW 300 million in domestic assets for retirement investor permanent residency (F-5-23)?
Excluding the investment itself and any overseas assets, you show at least KRW 300 million in domestic assets held by you or your spouse. The domestic asset proof is built from the kinds of documents used in permanent residence asset reviews — real estate registry extracts, sale contracts, lease contracts and deposit balance certificates. This asset proof is added only for F-5-23; general investors (F-5-21) do not submit it.
Do I need an income certificate or tax payment certificate for public-interest investor permanent residency?
No. F-5-21, F-5-22 and F-5-23 are exempt from the livelihood requirement and from the annual income review, so the income certificates and tax clearance documents required for other permanent residence types drop out. The investment maintenance proof becomes the centre of the review instead, and good conduct is still examined.
Do I need an identity surety form or a KIIP certificate for F-5-21 permanent residency?
Neither. Public-interest general investors (F-5-21), retirement investors (F-5-23) and their spouses or unmarried children (F-5-22) are excluded from the identity surety form and exempt from the basic-knowledge requirement, so no KIIP certificate or comprehensive test pass is needed. The F-5 applicant information form must still be completed by the applicant, and false entries discovered later can lead to cancellation of permanent residence.
Do I need a new criminal record certificate from my home country for public-interest investor permanent residency?
In principle, yes. Unlike PhD holders or high-value investors, F-5-21, F-5-22 and F-5-23 are not exempt by type, so certificates from your country of nationality and from any third country where you lived 1+ year continuously within the last 5 years are required. Submit an original issued no more than 6 months earlier, apostilled or consular-legalized, with a notarized translation. It can be skipped if you submitted a home-country certificate before and have not stayed abroad 6+ months in a row since, or if you have stayed lawfully in Korea for 10+ years continuously by the filing date.
Can an investor still on F-2 apply for permanent residency together with their spouse and children (F-5-21·F-5-22)?
Yes. F-5-22 normally requires the spouse or parent to already hold F-5-21·F-5-23 and keep the investment, but a family member filing jointly with an investor still on public-interest F-2 can apply without that condition being met. If the investor's change to permanent residence is refused, the family's is refused too, so the investor's documents are secured first; each family member must still have held F-2 for 5+ years.
The investor has 5 years, but our child joined later and has less than 5 years on F-2 — can the child get F-5-22?
Not yet. F-5-22 requires the applicant, on the filing date, to have held residence (F-2) as the spouse or unmarried child of a public-interest investor for 5+ years and to be staying in Korea continuously. F-2 extensions require the investment to be kept without eroding the standard amount, so the investment is maintained while you count the date the child reaches 5 years on F-2 and plan the filing from there.
If a public-interest investor's child marries, can they still apply for F-5-22? What proves unmarried status?
F-5-22 covers 'unmarried children', so a child already married on the filing date cannot apply under this type. Unmarried children submit family-relationship proof plus a document proving unmarried status, while spouses submit family-relationship proof. Because the parent's maintained investment is a precondition for F-5-22, the timing of the investor's investment proof is aligned as well.
After getting F-5-21, how do I invite my spouse or child who lives abroad — which status do they get?
If you are still maintaining the investment, you may choose between residence F-2-3 and F-2-13. If you have withdrawn the investment, that choice disappears and the family member applies for F-2-3. Either way the relationship to the permanent resident is proven with family-relationship documents, and since withdrawing the investment changes the family route, any withdrawal plan is reviewed beforehand.
I invested in a public-interest project but only visited on a C-3 multiple-entry visa without registering — can I get permanent residency after 5 years?
Not from C-3 status. To change to permanent residence (F-5) you must first change to residence (F-2) and complete alien registration, and investor permanent residence looks at the investment period held on that F-2. The short-term visit (C-3-1) multiple visa is for people who visit often without long-term stay, so if permanent residence is your goal the 5-year investment period is counted from the change to F-2.
What documents does each of F-5-21, F-5-22 and F-5-23 need?
Common documents are the integrated application form (with revenue stamp), passport, alien registration card, proof of residence (a lease or registry certificate valid on the filing date), overseas criminal record certificate (unless exempt) and the F-5 applicant information form; the identity surety form, income documents and basic-knowledge proof are not needed. Category-specific: F-5-21 submits investment maintenance proof issued in the 5 days before filing, F-5-23 adds proof of KRW 300 million+ in domestic assets besides the investment, and F-5-22 submits family-relationship proof, with unmarried children adding proof of unmarried status.
Key terms
- Public-interest investment immigration (공익사업 투자이민)
- A scheme granting residence (F-2) to foreigners who invest at least the standard amount in designated public-interest projects and leading to permanent residence (F-5) after 5+ years of maintained investment; the general investment threshold is KRW 1.5 billion or more.
- Public-interest general investor (F-5-21, 공익사업 일반투자자)
- The permanent residence type for persons who invested continuously for 5+ years on public-interest investment residence (F-2).
- Public-interest retirement investor (F-5-23, 공익사업 은퇴이민 투자자)
- The permanent residence type for retirement investors with 5+ years of public-interest investment on retirement investment residence (F-2) and KRW 300 million+ in domestic assets besides the investment.
- Spouse or unmarried child of a public-interest investor (F-5-22)
- The permanent residence type for spouses or unmarried children of F-5-21·F-5-23 investors who have held F-2 for 5+ years.
- Investment maintained (투자 유지)
- The state of not having withdrawn the standard investment amount; even a principal loss from fund operations counts as maintained unless the investor withdraws.
- Full departure (완전출국)
- A departure in which alien registration is cancelled; if the same F-2 is re-acquired later, investment periods before and after are added together.
- Joint filing (동반신청)
- Filing for permanent residence together with an investor still on public-interest F-2; if the investor is refused, the family is refused too.
- Investment maintenance proof (투자 유지 입증서류)
- The document showing the investment is maintained, which must be issued in the 5 days before the permanent residence filing date.
- Identity surety form exemption (신원보증서 제출 제외)
- F-5-21, F-5-22 and F-5-23 are among the types that do not submit the identity surety form.
About our office
- Office
- Vision Administrative Office (비전행정사사무소 · VISAS KOREA)
- Principal
- Alex Lee (이원중), licensed administrative agent (행정사)
- Licence
- Administrative agent (행정사) — preparing immigration and residence filings and submitting them on the client’s behalf with written authorization (위임장)
- Scope
- Korean visas (visa issuance certificate, change of status, extension), permanent residency (F-5), foreign-invested company, branch and liaison office setup, immigration violation review and entry-ban response
- Languages
- Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese
- Address
- 3F Sungwoo Bldg, 324 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 04614, Korea
- Hours
- Weekdays 09:30–17:30 (KST)
Who hires us for this
- Investors on public-interest investment residence (F-2) approaching their fifth year
- Retirement investors in public-interest projects who also hold real estate or deposits in Korea
- Spouses and unmarried children who have lived in Korea on F-2 alongside the investor for 5+ years
- Applicants whose investment period is complicated by departures and re-registration
- Investors who want to invite family from abroad after obtaining permanent residence
Back to top ↑
