F-5-15 Permanent Residency: Ph.D. holders in Korea

F-5-15 Permanent Residence Application Requirements

1. A PhD from South Korea (regardless of field of study)
2. Those who have only obtained a degree without studying abroad (D2 visa) are not allowed
3. Excluding graduates
4. Continued full-time employment with a domestic company for at least one year.
5. If you changed jobs within a year, recognize continuity if the break in service was 30 days or less

Benefits of permanent residency

1. Exemption from submitting a certificate of completion for the Social Integration Program (KIIP)
2. Exemption from submission of criminal record certificate
3. Income requirement is GNI or above/assets, 1.5 times the net worth of a Korean at the time of application
4. Change to F2-3 visa for spouse and minor children living in Korea (can be changed to F5-4 after 2 years)

Key points for visa processing

1. One of the application requirements, “full-time commercial worker,” generally refers to full-time employment. To prove full-time employment, you must obtain a full-time employment verification document from your employer. Since most foreign applicants work on a contract basis, it’s not easy to get a full-time job verification letter. You should first check with your employer to see if you can get a full-time job verification letter.
2. You can also apply for an F-2-7 visa first, meet the requirements, and then apply for permanent residency later.

Documents to submit when applying for permanent residence

1. A copy of doctoral degree certificate *Additional transcripts, etc. may be requested if necessary
2. Copy of business registration certificate, certificate of employment
3. Big 4 insurance carrier member rosters
4. Employment contract
5. Full-time employment verification
6. Identity assurance
7. Applicant basic information
8. Documents proving the place of residence
9. Add personalized documentation