Living in Korea · Visa & residency
F-2 & F-5: Long-term Residence and PR in Korea
Most foreigners start on an employer-tied work visa — but the real goal is stability. F-2 gives you long-term residence and the freedom to change jobs; F-5 is permanent residence. For professionals the usual path runs E-7 → F-2 → F-5. Here is how the points system and that pathway work.
F-2-7: the points-based residence visa
The most common way for skilled professionals to reach F-2 is the F-2-7 points visa. Immigration scores you on factors such as:
- Age and education level
- Annual income in Korea
- Korean-language ability (e.g. TOPIK level)
- Work experience and other bonus factors
Reach the pass mark and you can switch from your work visa to F-2 residence. The exact factors and threshold are set by immigration and change — always check the current score table (배점표) on HiKorea.
Why F-2 is worth reaching
An E-series work visa is tied to your employer — change jobs and the visa usually has to be re-sponsored. F-2 breaks that link: you gain broad freedom to work and change employers, with more stable, longer-term residence. It is both a quality-of-life upgrade and the standard stepping stone toward permanent residence.
The pathway to permanent residence (F-5)
- Work route: E-7 → F-2 (points) → F-5
- Marriage route: F-6 (spouse of a Korean national) → F-5
- Investment / other routes exist for qualifying investors and long-term residents
F-5 typically requires a qualifying residence period, a stable income threshold, a clean record and often Korean-language ability. See the visa overview for how all the categories connect, and make sure your Foreign Registration (ARC) and records are in order throughout.
Plan around income and residence
Because income is scored for both F-2-7 and F-5, it pays to understand Korean salaries and take-home pay. See Salary in Korea 2026 and the salary calculator, and factor in the insurances that come out of gross pay.
Point factors, thresholds and residence-period rules change regularly. Confirm the current F-2-7 score table and F-5 conditions on HiKorea or with an immigration office (출입국·외국인청) before applying.
Frequently asked questions
What is the F-2 visa?▾
F-2 is a long-term residence status. The most common route for professionals is F-2-7, a points-based visa scored on factors such as age, education, income, Korean-language ability and work experience. Reaching the points threshold lets you switch from a work visa to F-2 residence.
What does F-2 let me do that a work visa does not?▾
F-2 gives far more freedom: you can generally change jobs or employers without re-sponsoring a visa, and you have more stable, longer-term residence — a major step up from an employer-tied E-series visa, and the usual stepping stone to permanent residence.
How do I get permanent residence (F-5)?▾
F-5 is permanent residence. Common routes are E-7 → F-2 → F-5 for workers, F-6 → F-5 for spouses of Korean nationals, and investment-based routes. Each requires a qualifying residence period, income and other conditions.
What is scored in the F-2-7 points system?▾
Typically age, educational level, income, Korean-language ability (e.g. TOPIK), work experience and other factors. The exact factors and the pass mark are set by immigration and change over time — check the current 배점표 (score table) on HiKorea before applying.