Must-Read Before Applying for a Foreign Nationals' Permanent Residency F-5 Visa, from Permanent Residency Conditions to Precautions

When applying for foreign nationals' permanent residency, the immigration and foreign nationals office reviews the following basic requirements very carefully.

• Income and ability to maintain a livelihood: The person must be able to maintain a livelihood on the income or assets of themselves or a family member sharing the same livelihood, and in principle at least 1 times (at least 2 times for special types) the previous year's per-capita gross national income (GNI) is required. Even if income is insufficient, alternative proof by assets is possible where the person holds assets exceeding the average per household member.
• Good conduct requirement: The person must comply with the statutes of the Republic of Korea, and must have no record of a fine (3 million won or more) within the last 5 years or of criminal punishment of imprisonment without labor or heavier. Drunk driving and violations of the Immigration Act (illegal stay, administrative fines, penalty records) act as very strict grounds for refusal.
• Basic knowledge requirement: Korean language ability and understanding of the culture and system are assessed, and completion of Level 5 of the Social Integration Program (KIIP) or passing the comprehensive assessment for permanent residence (KIPRAT, 60 points or more) is required.

However, exactly the same requirements are not uniformly applied to all applicants for permanent residence status.

Depending on the specific status of stay and application type, such as minor children, marriage migrants, certain outstanding talents, and recognized refugees, some requirements may be relaxed or exempted.

Permanent residence status has several specific types, so the eligibility to apply and the matters to be reviewed vary depending on the current status of stay and its purpose.

Foreign nationals' permanent residency(F-5) application documents vary depending on the specific permanent residence status being applied for.

Regardless of the specific type, the basic documents commonly prepared are as follows.

• An accurately completed integrated application form, the original and a copy of the passport, and the alien registration card
• 1 standard-format photograph and the application fee
• Documents proving the place of stay (lease agreement, confirmation of accommodation provided, etc.)
• A criminal record certificate from the home country abroad (apostille or consular confirmation required)
  
  Depending on the specific type of permanent residence (F-5), additional supporting documents such as income and assets, criminal record, basic knowledge, and family relationships may be required, so when actually applying, you should separately and accurately confirm the documents to be submitted for the relevant type.
  

The integrated application form (report form) used when applying for foreign nationals' permanent residency(F-5) is the form in attached Form No. 34 of the 「Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act」.

The application form may be completed in Korean or English, and because it is a form commonly used for various immigration tasks, it is important to first accurately indicate the task you are applying for.

Where you wish to change from an existing status of stay to permanent residence (F-5) status, check 'CHANGE OF STATUS OF SOJOURN' in the application/report selection field, and clearly state 'Permanent Residence (F-5)' and the specific type you are applying for in the desired status field.

After that, accurately complete the applicant's personal information, such as name, sex, date of birth, nationality, alien registration number, passport number, place of stay in the country, and contact information, in accordance with the passport and alien registration information.

In particular, you should carefully check that the English spelling of the name, the passport number, and the alien registration number are not stated differently from the other documents submitted, so as to prevent delays in the examination.

Also, because the integrated application form is a form used together for various tasks, it is advisable to check again before submission whether you have mistakenly selected any item unrelated to the foreign nationals' permanent residency application.

Depending on the type of foreign nationals' permanent residency, the applicant's income or assets become an important examination factor.

Therefore, you should not look only at your current salary; you must accurately confirm the criteria required for the application type (such as 1 to 2 times GNI) and the scope of income and assets reported to and recognized by the National Tax Service.

If you have a past record of criminal punishment or a violation of immigration-related statutes, it can be a major problem in the foreign nationals' permanent residency examination.

However, since acquisition cannot be deemed impossible in all cases merely because there is a fact of past punishment, you should confirm the specific content of the violation together with the applicable permanent residence status criteria and provide a legal explanation.

If information differs among the documents submitted for the foreign nationals' permanent residency examination, such as income, occupation, marital relationship, and record of stay in the country, the examination may be extended or you may suffer a disadvantage.

If a person acquires permanent residence status by submitting false documents or stating false facts, this may later lead to revocation of the permanent residence status and a compulsory deportation issue, so caution is required.

For foreign nationals' permanent residency, the matters to be reviewed vary depending on the applicant's current status of stay, period of stay in the country, family relationships, income and assets, and record of legal violations.

In particular, because the specific types are diverse, it is difficult to judge that you meet the same requirements simply by looking at another applicant's case.

Therefore, before applying for foreign nationals' permanent residency, it is advisable to confirm, in order, ① the type of permanent residence status that applies to you, ② the specific permission requirements for that type, and ③ the materials that can prove them.

Daeryun, the 9th-largest law firm in the Republic of Korea (based on 2025 National Tax Service VAT filings), provides assistance through the cooperation of Korean attorneys and foreign attorneys tailored to the client's situation.

If your current permanent residence status application has been refused, or if permission is at issue because of a past criminal punishment or immigration law violation, we encourage you to pursue a legal response through a 🔗legal consultation reservation.