Korea's F-2-7 points-based residence and F-5 permanent residence are two different decisions. F-2-7 is available only to people in specified applicant groups who meet the Ministry of Justice's scoring and conduct rules; the current notice sets a minimum 80 points. Reaching 80 does not give you F-5. The official immigration pathway describes a possible F-5 application after more than three years on qualifying points-based F-2 residence, provided separate permanent-residence conditions are met. Ordinary F-5 routes can instead involve five or more years in specified statuses.
If you are now on E-7 professional employment or another professional status, first identify whether you are in an eligible F-2-7 group. If you already have an F-2-7 residence card, your more useful first question is how long you have held that exact status and whether you can document livelihood, conduct and integration for F-5. Treating the two as one “Korean PR points calculator” leads people to apply too early.
Which route matches your situation?
| You are… | Real decision now | What the attractive shortcut misses |
|---|---|---|
| An E-7 professional offered a new job | Check if your exact E-7 subcategory, history and job match the 2025 F-2-7 notice; only then calculate points | E-7-1 and E-7-2/3/4 are not interchangeable for the professional group |
| A professional at a KOSPI/KOSDAQ-listed company | Establish that both the employer and your occupation fit the notice, then assess the 80-point minimum | A listed employer alone is not 80 points or guaranteed approval |
| A worker in an advanced industry | Establish the legally defined sector, work and income linked to the previous year's per-capita GNI, then score | A broad “tech job” label does not prove the industry or income condition |
| A qualifying Korean postgraduate | Identify the specific graduate/qualified-job cohort and documentary route | Any Korean-language course or graduation does not automatically qualify |
| Already an F-2-7 resident for several years | Confirm the precise start and continuity of the approved points-based F-2 status, then assess the F-5 route | Three calendar years since first arriving as a student are not three F-2-7 years |
| An F-6 marriage migrant, F-2-R regional resident or F-2-7S science-track holder | Identify the separate residence and permanent-stay rules for that code | Similar-looking F-2 labels are not the same programme |
The Ministry of Justice Notice 2025-408, effective 24 October 2025, names five main F-2-7 applicant cohorts: listed-company workers, promising-industry professionals, qualifying professionals, Korean-educated talent and potential scientific talent. It also provides a disqualification rule covering specified criminal, immigration and false-document histories. The notice's point table is in Attachment 2; the age/income/education figures on agency infographics should not replace its official calculation.
First gate: a legal applicant group. Second gate: the 80 points.
Imagine two people both say they have “85 points.” One holds an eligible E-7-1 position with the right professional experience and provable income. The other holds a different, specifically excluded E-7 occupational subcategory. They are not equivalent applicants, even if an online calculator gives both 85. The notice's group definitions come before the points test.
A separate scoring example shows why evidence and deductions matter:
- Applicant A: after using the actual official rubric and evidence, Immigration accepts 79 net points. Even with a qualifying job category, 79 is below the 80-point minimum. Improving language/qualifying evidence and reassessing before filing may be more useful than paying immediately.
- Applicant B: the same eligible category, with 84 verified net points and no applicable disqualification, passes the numeric screen. They still need the correct current immigration application, consistent status and evidence. 84 is not automatic F-2 approval.
The 79 and 84 figures are illustrative assessed totals, not made-up allocations for age or degree. Real points can depend on proof of earnings, academic level, recognized language/integration results, permitted bonus points and any deductions. Do not count an unissued degree, anticipated salary or old test score as if it had already been accepted. The official 2025 notice and its attachment are the source of the live scoring rules.
There is an important failure path: an applicant with more than 80 preliminary points can still be ineligible because of the category or a disqualifying history. The notice lists, for example, serious crimes, specified fines or repeated immigration violations, and false documents. Do not hide these facts or rely on an agent promising to “fix” the score.
What changes if F-2-7 is granted?
An approved F-2-7 is a residence status, not permanent residence or citizenship. Korea's Immigration Control Act Enforcement Decree Article 23 gives qualifying F-2 subgroups—including the points-based ja-mok category—broader freedom from ordinary employment-category limitations. That is a significant difference from an employer-specific E-7. It is not a waiver of professional licensing, prohibited activities or the need to maintain lawful status.
For a professional thinking of leaving an E-7 job, the order matters: do not stop complying with your current E-7 permissions just because you hope to qualify for F-2-7. Wait for the issued status change; retain your current card and the actual grant/expiry notice. Families should not presume a spouse's or child's immigration category changes automatically with your status: check the appropriate dependent record and application.
If your points later drop or your circumstances change, renewal is a new assessment, not a guarantee based on the score you once presented. Track the current status expiry and the latest HiKorea category manual before leaving a job, moving abroad or promising a family member indefinite residence.
The F-5 decision is not “80 points plus three years”
The Korea Immigration Service's Visa Navigator describes the points-based F-2-to-F-5 route after three years and a general route after five years on specified eligible residence/work statuses. This is a December 2022 overview, useful for separating pathways but not proof of today's personal continuity calculation or checklist. Korea Immigration specifically directs applicants to its current status-by-status manual for documents; do not use a 2022 page alone to set a 2026 appointment.
For F-5, the Enforcement Rule, Article 18-4, as amended in 2026 separately tests good conduct, ability to maintain livelihood, and basic integration. The current rule identifies earnings of the applicant and qualifying family together relative to the previous year's Bank of Korea per-capita gross national income (GNI) or a qualifying household-asset/financial assessment; it also refers to completion of the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP) or a qualifying comprehensive assessment. The actual programme-specific F-5 category can have additional rules or exceptions, so an internet claim of one fixed salary number for all F-5 candidates is misleading.
Worked chronology: You lived in Korea on E-7 from January 2022 to June 2024, then obtained F-2-7 in July 2024. In October 2026 you have lived in Korea for more than four years—but held F-2-7 for only about two years and three months. Do not turn those four years into “three years on F-2-7.” Keep your F-2-7 lawful and reassess the precise eligible F-5 filing date and residence continuity under the current manual.
Another applicant: You have held qualifying points-based F-2 for more than three years. That may clear one route's duration screen, but you have no accepted evidence of income/assets or integration. The sensible task is to build the F-5 evidence file rather than assuming your existing 80 points can stand in for livelihood or KIIP.
The documents that let Immigration actually decide
For a preliminary appointment, organize evidence in three distinct bundles. This is a preparation map, not a purported universal ministry checklist:
- Your route: passport, residence card, full prior status and entry/exit records, correct F-2 subgroup and exact issue/expiry dates. Distinguish E-7 duration from F-2-7 duration. For a new F-2-7 request, include the proof that places you in an eligible applicant cohort.
- Your points or permanent-residence eligibility: issued employment and income/tax certificates, genuine degree and recognized Korean-language/integration records, and evidence for any claimed bonus. For F-5, add livelihood or household-asset documentation and the category-specific KIIP/assessment evidence. Foreign documents may need the translation or legalization required for that source and application office.
- Your conduct, household and continuing residence: accurate prior applications, immigration-compliance history, family records where you claim family income or family status, and up-to-date place-of-stay proof. Do not substitute a contract promising future income for historical income evidence without authority guidance.
Use HiKorea for the current category-by-category instructions, reservation and application route, or call the Immigration Contact Center at 1345. The decision-maker can tell you whether a gap in your qualifying history or an absent document means reapply later, use another lawful route or resolve a specific eligibility issue first. Never let your present stay expire while waiting for a hoped-for permanent-residence decision.
The next useful decision
If you are actually moving from job-seeking status into Korean employment, the separate D-10 to E-7 job transition guide explains that route. If you are not yet F-2-7, establish your legal cohort before using the official scoring attachment: 80 points do not repair an ineligible work category. If you already hold F-2-7, compare your exact approved F-2-7 dates with the possible F-5 route, and assemble separate livelihood, conduct and integration evidence. If your status is actually regional F-2-R or the science-track F-2-7S, start from their own official regulations rather than this points-based route. A useful first appointment is one where you can show Immigration both which route you claim and which exact missing criterion you need it to decide.