F-5-11 Permanent Residency Visa — Requirements, Points Table & Documents

1. What is the F-5-11 visa — permanent residency for specific-field talent

F-5-11 is the F-5 permanent residency category for persons with outstanding ability in a specific field. It is granted to people recognized by the Minister of Justice for exceptional ability in fields such as science, business management, education, culture and arts, or sports, and that ability is measured with an official points table (required items and optional items). With 20 or more required-item points, eligibility is assessed regardless of how long you have stayed in Korea — so an established professional can consider permanent residency even after a short stay.

Who typically applies

• Professors — full professors at a four-year university in Korea or abroad for 3+ years, or lecturers and above for 3+ years at a world top-200 university (QS, THE, ARWU, CWUR, etc., ranked within the last 3 years)
• Researchers — papers published in SCI, SCIE, SSCI or A&HCI journals within the last 5 years, plus 3+ years of research at a national research institute or an equivalent institute in Korea or abroad
• Executives and employees — full-time directors, managers or long-term regular employees of a Global 500 company, or full-time directors or 7+ year regular employees of a large company (300+ regular workers in Korea and Korean capital over KRW 8 billion)
• Patent holders — holders of Korean or foreign patents (utility model or design rights also need 1+ year of running a related business; being named only as the inventor does not count)
• Athletes and artists — Olympic, World Championship or Asian Games bronze medalists or above (or their coaches), and people with international awards, world records, or international exhibitions and performances
• PhD holders — a doctorate is worth 20 optional points; it is not enough on its own and must be combined with at least one required item. PhD holders employed in Korea should also compare F-5-9 / F-5-15.

2. Eligibility — point thresholds and exempted requirements

You must meet at least one required item, and your required-item points and combined (required + optional) points must match one of the three tiers below.

How F-5-11 differs from other permanent residency types

• Livelihood (income and assets) requirement exempt — your annual income is not screened as it is for general permanent residency; Korean income and assets only count as optional points.
• Basic-knowledge requirement exempt — completing KIIP stage 5 or passing the comprehensive evaluation for permanent residency is not mandatory; if you have completed KIIP it adds up to 15 optional points.
• Overseas criminal record certificate may be omitted — submit it only if the immigration office asks for it.
• Good conduct is still reviewed — criminal penalties in Korea or Immigration Act violations can affect the result.

3. Required items points table (245 points in total)

The required items consist of eight separate items. Points from different items are added together; if you meet several criteria within the same item, only the highest score counts.

4. Optional items points table (205 points in total)

Optional items are added to your required-item points to reach the 50- or 100-point total. Within one optional item only the highest score counts; bonus items are all added together.

Bonus points (up to 110, all added together)

How optional items are recognized

• Annual income — only the applicant's own income in Korea counts (not accompanying family), based on the income certificate issued by the tax office.
• Assets in Korea — movable and real property in the applicant's name, counted as net assets after debts; debts and defaults are checked with a credit report.
• Education — Korean and foreign degrees both count, but only degrees already obtained (not expected). Foreign degrees must come from formal institutions equivalent to Korean higher-education schools.

5. Scoring examples

These hypothetical cases show how the table is applied. Actual recognition depends on the supporting documents you submit.

6. Required documents

Examples of proof for each points item

• Education — copy of the degree certificate (transcripts if needed)
• Annual income in Korea — income certificate issued by the tax office
• Assets in Korea — proof of assets and a credit report or other proof of debts
• Basic knowledge — KIIP completion certificate or comprehensive evaluation pass certificate
• Employing Korean nationals — employment contracts and the workplace social-insurance subscriber list
• Tax payment — national and local tax payment certificates
• Volunteer work — volunteer record from the 1365 Volunteer Portal or VMS

Documents for your specific case are advised during consultation.

7. How to apply

In Korea — change of status to F-5-11

Foreign residents in Korea apply for a change of status of sojourn to F-5-11 at the immigration office with jurisdiction over their address (visit reservations can be made through HiKorea). With 10–19 required-item points you can apply only after staying in Korea for at least one year after alien registration.

From abroad — permanent resident visa

Even without a history of stay in Korea, 20+ required-item points mean eligibility is assessed regardless of your stay, so you can apply for an F-5-11 permanent resident visa at a Korean embassy or consulate. The visa is issued after approval by the Minister of Justice; prepare the visa application form, passport, one photo, a letter of identity guarantee and proof of your points items.

1. Check which required items you meet and your total points
2. Prepare proof for each points item (including documents issued abroad)
3. Apply at the competent immigration office or a Korean embassy / consulate
4. Respond to any request for supplementary documents
5. Stay with permanent residency after approval (in Korea) or enter Korea with the issued visa (from abroad)

8. Processing time

There is no fixed processing period for F-5-11; it varies with the workload of the competent office and whether supplementary documents are needed. Permanent resident visas applied for abroad also require Minister of Justice approval. Clear proof of your required items reduces supplementary requests and helps shorten the overall time.

9. Frequently asked questions

10. Related F-5 guides