Work-Visa Ladder (E-7, D-8, F-2, D-10, D-8-4) in South Korea

Document Checklist

여권 (Yeogwon — Passport) Passport Validity: At least six months remaining validityBlank pages: At least two blank pages for visa stamping Universal across all five visa categories
사증 발급 신청서 (Sajeung Balgeup Sincheongseo — Visa Issuance Application Form) Visa Application Form Source: Downloadable from the HiKorea portal or the Korean embassy or consulate of applicationLanguage: Korean primary; English supplementary Verbatim form references published at visa.go.kr
Passport Photograph Dimensions: 3.5cm by 4.5cmRecency: Taken within the past six months
Criminal Background Check Origin: Country of citizenshipAuthentication: Apostilled by the issuing authority Required for first-time application or status change from outside Korea
Diploma Level: Bachelor's degree minimum for E-7-1, D-8-4 standard variant, and F-2-7 points pathwayAuthentication: Apostilled in the country of issue Decoupled for the D-8-4S Startup Korea Special Visa variant (see additional_items[] for launch reference)
사업자등록증 (Saeobja Deungrokjeung — Business Registration Certificate) Employer Documents (E-7) Business registration certificate: Korean employer's registered business certificateEmployment contract: At least one-year duration; at least two-year duration for E-7-4 K-Point pathwayFinancial statements: Recent two years demonstrating capacity to pay declared salaryForeign-worker cap certification: Confirming the employer does not exceed 20% foreign-worker ratio in protected occupations Filed by the employer at the Korean immigration office during the Certificate of Visa Issuance phase
소득금액증명원 (Sodeuk Geumaek Jeungmyeongwon — Certificate of Income Amount) K-Point Score Sheet and Income Verification (E-7-4) K-Point self-assessment: Minimum total 200 points out of 300 base, with independent 50-point minimums in income and Korean languageTOPIK or KIIP certificate: TOPIK Level 2 minimum, or 한국이민귀화적격시험 (Hanguk Imin Gwihwa Jeokgyeok Siheom — KIIP) Level 2 equivalentEmployer recommendation letter: Mandatory for conversion from E-9, E-10, or H-2 status to E-7-4
외국인투자기업등록증 (Oegug-in Tuja Gieop Deungrokjeung — Foreign-Invested Enterprise Registration Certificate) Capital Documentation (D-8) Capital deposit certificate: At least ₩100,000,000 for D-8-1 Incorporated EnterpriseBank remittance trail: Statements confirming capital flow from the investor's account; family-name remittance permitted at the ₩300,000,000 thresholdExecutive appointment letter: From the Korean entity confirming the investor's role as 대표이사 (Daepyo Isa — Representative Director) or specialist
특허 출원 (Teukheo Chulwon — Patent Application) Intellectual Property Application (D-8-4) Filing surface: Korean Intellectual Property Office filing (patent, utility model, or design application)Status: Filed, not granted, at the time of D-8-4 application Mandatory documentation across the standard D-8-4 pathway; decoupled under the D-8-4S Startup Korea Special Visa variant
OASIS Certificates (D-8-4) Points threshold: At least 80 points across the consolidated OASIS point matrix under the current programme standardSource: Issued by the Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development
Local Government Recommendation Letter (F-2-R) Origin: From one of 107 designated population-decline regionsIndustry alignment: Region-specific designated industries Required for F-2-R Regional Specialized Visa; spouse and minor children may accompany; spouse may work as a simple labourer
Sectoral Salary Documentation (F-2-T) Annual salary threshold: At least three times gross national income for the standard pathway; four times GNI waives academic and work-experience requirementsSectors: Semiconductors, biotechnology, secondary batteries, displays, robotics, defense industriesEmployment tenure: Eight years total including three at a global top-500 company, or five years post-doctorate research including three at a top global institute

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