1. Overview
F-5-6 is a permanent residence (F-5) status for people who have stayed in Korea for 2 or more years continuously in Overseas Korean (F-4) status, and F-5-7 for foreign-national ethnic Koreans who meet the nationality-acquisition requirements under the Nationality Act (Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Annex 1-3, items 4 and 5). Both fall under the guideline for foreign-national ethnic Koreans.
Unlike general permanent residence (F-5-1), F-5-6 lets you qualify through any one of income, pension, assets, trade volume, investment or a recommendation as a compatriot-group representative, and its basic literacy requirement is exempted. For F-5-7, the additional documents depend on the naturalization type (general, simplified, special naturalization or restoration of nationality).
2. Eligibility Requirements
- F-5-6: 2 or more years of continuous stay in Overseas Korean (F-4) status (for those who made a domestic residence report, time lived abroad counts toward the 2 years)
- F-5-6 must meet any one of these: annual income at or above the prior-year GNI per capita (when combined with cohabiting family, the applicant's income must be at least 50% of the standard) / aged 60 or over receiving an overseas pension at or above the prior-year GNI per capita a year / property tax paid of KRW 500,000 or more last year, or own-name net assets at or above the prior-year average net assets in the Survey of Household Finances and Living Conditions / annual trade with Korean companies of KRW 2 billion or more / investment of USD 500,000 or more in Korea / recommendation by the head of a Korean mission abroad as the representative of a compatriot group recognized by the residence-country government or of a corporation
- F-5-7: a foreign-national ethnic Korean who meets the nationality-acquisition requirements under the Nationality Act. Submit the KIIP permanent-residence course certificate or the test pass certificate and proof of livelihood; applicants for restoration of nationality or special naturalization are exempt from both
- Good conduct (Article 10-3 of the Immigration Act etc., common to ethnic Korean permanent residence). F-5-6 is exempt from the basic literacy requirement, and from the livelihood requirement if it is met through trade of KRW 2 billion, investment of USD 500,000 or a representative's recommendation
- Family: the visit-cohabitation (F-1-72) once given to the spouse and minor children of F-5-7 applicants has been abolished. If the family wants to live together, the applicant switches to Overseas Korean (F-4) and the family receives accompanying (F-3) status.
3. Required Documents
4. Procedure
- Confirm your type: F-5-6 (2+ years in F-4) or F-5-7 (nationality-acquisition requirements)
- For F-5-6, choose which of income, pension, assets, trade, investment or recommendation you can meet
- Prepare the common and type-specific documents (overseas public documents need authentication and translation)
- Book a visit with the competent Immigration Office and submit
- Review (processing time varies by office and filing date; confirm individually)
- On approval the permanent resident card is issued (valid 10 years from issue; renew before expiry)
5. Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Does time lived abroad count toward the 2 years for F-5-6?
A. The manual says that for those who made a domestic residence report, the period lived abroad is also counted toward the 2 years of continuous stay.
Q. Can I apply for F-5-6 if my income is short?
A. Besides income you can qualify through a pension, assets (property tax of KRW 500,000 or more, or average net assets), annual trade of KRW 2 billion, investment of USD 500,000 or more, or a recommendation as a compatriot-group or corporate representative.
Q. Do F-5-6 and F-5-7 need a Korean test or the KIIP course?
A. F-5-6 is exempt from the basic literacy requirement. F-5-7 must submit the KIIP permanent-residence course certificate or the test pass certificate; restoration of nationality and special naturalization applicants are exempt.
Q. How does my family stay if I apply for F-5-7?
A. The old visit-cohabitation (F-1-72) has been abolished. After the applicant changes to Overseas Korean (F-4), the family receives accompanying (F-3) status.