South Korea F-2-99 Point-Based Long-Term Residency Visa

Last verified 2026-07-07Official source

South Korea's F-2-99 sub-status is a points-based long-term residency track for foreigners already on a qualifying work or study visa (commonly E-1 through E-7, D-2, D-9, or D-10). Eligibility is scored across weighted criteria — age, education, annual income, Korean language proficiency (TOPIK or KIIP completion), and social contribution such as volunteer work or years in Korea.

Applicants scoring at least 80 of 120 points may convert to F-2 residency, removing the employer-sponsorship tie of most work visas and granting freedom to change jobs or start a business.

After three years holding F-2-99 status, holders can apply to upgrade to F-5 permanent residency, a common stepping stone toward naturalization after five years of cumulative domestic residence. Korean law generally requires renouncing prior citizenship upon naturalization, with only narrow statutory exceptions.

Program Details

Category: Skilled Worker
Processing Time: 2 months
Application Fee: $100
Minimum Income: —
Minimum Investment: —
Family Included: A spouse and minor children may accompany the principal on dependent (F-3) status. Family relationships do not themselves add points, though a Korean spouse or Korean ancestry can contribute under separate visa categories not applicable to F-2-99.
Path to PR: Yes — 3 years
Path to Citizenship: Yes — 5 years
Physical Presence: No single continuous-stay threshold is mandated to hold F-2-99 status, but extended absences from Korea can jeopardize both the 3-year bridge to F-5 permanent residency and the 5-year continuous domestic residence generally required for naturalization.
Dual Citizenship: Not allowed
Tax Impact: An individual becomes a Korean tax resident after 183 days of physical presence in a tax year (or upon establishing a domicile), triggering worldwide income taxation at progressive rates up to 45%. Korea's extensive double-taxation treaty network offers relief for many nationalities, but F-2-99 holders working locally are subject to standard Korean payroll withholding.
Renewal Cost: $100

There is no fixed minimum income threshold. Instead, annual income (assessed in KRW relative to Korea's per-capita GNI) is one of several weighted criteria in the points table, alongside age, education, Korean language ability, and social-integration activity. A composite score of at least 80 out of 120 possible points is required to qualify.

Application Timeline

Apply

2mo processing

Visa Granted

Initial permit

Permanent Residency

After 3 years

Citizenship

After 5 years

Key Requirements

✓Currently hold a qualifying Korean visa status (e.g., E-1–E-7 professional/skilled categories, D-2 student, D-9 trade, or D-10 job-seeking)
✓Score at least 80 of 120 points across the age, education, income, Korean-language, and social-integration criteria
✓Demonstrate Korean language ability, typically via TOPIK score or completion of a KIIP (Korea Immigration & Integration Program) stage
✓No disqualifying criminal record in Korea or abroad
✓Valid health insurance coverage or enrollment in the National Health Insurance Service
✓Continuous lawful residence in Korea without status violations at time of application
✓Supporting documents proving income, academic credentials, and any volunteer/community activity claimed for points

Am I eligible for South Korea F-2-99 Point-Based Long-Term Residency Visa?

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This is a heuristic, not a determination. Final eligibility depends on full documentation and immigration-officer discretion.

Application Process — Step by Step

01
Confirm eligibility on a qualifying base visa
destination
Applicants must already hold an eligible status such as E-1–E-7, D-2, D-9, or D-10. Review the current points table on HiKorea or with an immigration office to estimate your score before applying.
Typical duration: Self-assessment, no fixed duration
02
Complete KIIP or obtain a TOPIK score
destination
Korean language points are usually the largest swing factor. Completing stages of the Korea Immigration & Integration Program or sitting the TOPIK exam builds the language-proficiency component of the score.
Typical duration: Several months to over a year, depending on starting level
03
Compile supporting documentation
destination
Gather proof of income (tax filings or employment contracts), academic degree certificates (apostilled/notarized if foreign), and evidence of volunteer or community activity used for social-integration points.
Typical duration: 2–4 weeks
04
Submit the F-2-99 status-change application
destination
File the application with supporting documents at the local immigration office (or via HiKorea online where available) requesting change of status to F-2-99 point-based long-term residency.
Typical duration: 4–8 weeks for a decision
05
Receive F-2-99 residence card
destination
On approval, the immigration office issues an updated Alien Registration Card reflecting F-2-99 status, which is generally valid for a renewable multi-year period without employer sponsorship.
Typical duration: 1–2 weeks after approval
06
Maintain status and renew as required
destination
F-2-99 status must be renewed periodically; continued compliance (no criminal issues, valid health insurance, stable residence) is required to remain in good standing.
Typical duration: Ongoing
07
Apply for F-5 permanent residency after 3 years
destination
Once three years have been held on F-2 status (accumulated, not necessarily all as F-2-99), holders may apply to the immigration office to upgrade to F-5 permanent residency, removing further renewal obligations.
Typical duration: 2–4 months for a decisionsource ↗

Documents Required

Document	Apostille	Translate to	Validity (days)
Valid passport	No	—	—
Alien Registration Card (ARC)	No	—	—
Evidence of current qualifying visa status	No	—	—
Application form for F-2-99 status change	No	—	—
TOPIK score report, or KIIP completion certificate	No	—	—
Proof of income	No	—	—
Proof of educational qualifications	Yes	destination-language	—
Points self-assessment worksheet	No	—	—
Evidence of social-integration or volunteer activity claimed for points, where applicable	No	—	—
Health insurance enrollment proof	No	—	—
Criminal record certificate	Yes	destination-language	—
Passport-style photograph	No	—	—
Application/processing fee payment receipt	No	—	—

Realistic Costs

Government fee

$100

Lawyer fee (low–high)

$300

–

$1,500

Translations

$150

Apostilles

$60

Relocation misc.

Total first year

$600

–

$1,900

Total 5-year

$700

–

$2,200

F-2-99 is a self-filed status-change application; many applicants file without an agent, so the lawyer-fee range spans self-file to full agency assistance. Relocation cost is set to 0 because applicants must already be lawfully resident in Korea on a qualifying prior visa. NHIS premiums are income-tier based, not a fixed figure. 5-year total adds the subsequent F-5 application fee (USD 80) plus modest assistance costs on top of first-year setup.

Realistic Timeline

Residence card issuance2 weeks
Total to residence card6–10 weeks

F-2-99 is an in-country status-change application, not a consulate-processed visa, so consulate/arrival fields are not applicable. Processing time depends mainly on the regional immigration office's workload; the points table itself is periodically revised, which can affect how long applicants take to reach the 80-point threshold before ever filing.