F-1 Visa Korea — Family Visit Status, Subtypes & Who Can Sponsor You
The F-1 visa is Korea's family visit and family companion status — covering not just tourists visiting relatives, but also certain dependent family members of long-term residents, specific quasi-dependent statuses, and family members of Koreans who want to stay in Korea on a medium-term basis. F-1-D is the digital nomad (workation) visa for remote workers employed abroad and their families.
Base de relecture et sources
Relu à partir de
James Chae, 행정사 (Korean Licensed Administrative Attorney). Licence n° 220-06-06463 · 대한행정사회 (Association coréenne des agents administratifs). Verifie selon le manuel HiKorea 사증·체류업무 자격별 안내 매뉴얼 et recoupe avec les publications du Ministere de la Justice.
Dernière relecture
4 septembre 2026
Références de source
Prudence avant dépôt
Les exigences peuvent varier selon la nationalite, le bureau d'immigration competent et le canal de depot. Avant de deposer, confirmez les exigences exactes avec HiKorea, le consulat coreen competent ou un specialiste de l'immigration habilite.
F-1 subtypes overview
F-1-1: Historical code for minor children of Korean citizens (pre-2026 practice) The manual's only confirmed reference to F-1-1 is a conversion note: minor foreign children of Korean citizens who previously held F-1-1 status are converted immediately, fee-free, to F-2-2 residence status once confirmed. There's no standalone F-1-1 definition table in the current manual — this population is now routed directly to F-2-2 rather than through F-1-1 first.
F-1-3: Dependent of an A-1~A-3 (diplomat, government official or international agreement) holder outside their household For a cohabiting dependent of someone holding 외교(A-1) through 협정(A-3) status who is NOT counted within that sponsor's registered household unit (세대) — this is what distinguishes F-1-3 from the standard A-series family/dependent track. Issued abroad as a visa (not a domestic status change), capped at 1 year, single-entry.
F-1-5: Family of a marriage migrant (F-6 holder), typically parents helping with childcare For the parents of a marriage migrant who enter Korea to help raise the migrant's children. This is also the reference category applied to F-1-28 (below).
F-1-28: Parents of a naturalized Korean citizen For the foreign-national parents of someone who has naturalized as a Korean citizen — administered by applying F-1-5's criteria to this population.
F-1-D: Digital nomad (workation) visa For owners of an overseas business, or employees of an overseas company, who can work remotely and have worked in the same field for at least 1 year (age 18 or older), together with their accompanying family. Applicants must meet an income level set as a multiple of per-capita GNI and hold private medical insurance with cover of KRW 100 million or more.
F-1-52: Children from prior marriage of a marriage immigrant (March 2025) Added March 2025. Covers the biological or adopted children that a marriage immigrant (F-6 holder) had from a previous marriage or relationship, who are not children of the current Korean sponsor. This addresses a gap where stepchildren joining their F-6 parent in Korea had no clear F-1 subtype. Requirements: the F-6 holder must be actively residing in Korea, and the child must be under 19 (or under 25 in school).
Note: there's no confirmed F-1 subtype specifically for elderly parents of an F-4 (overseas Korean) holder joining their child in Korea — overseas-Korean family reunification typically runs through the F-3/F-4 tracks instead. F-1-2 and F-1-4 appear in the manual's numbering but have no standalone definition table this site could independently verify — don't assume a specific eligibility profile for either without confirming with the current manual or an 행정사.
Sponsoring requirements and income threshold
Marriage-migrant/naturalized-citizen sponsor (F-1-5, F-1-28): • Sponsor must be actively residing in Korea • Provide 가족관계증명서 showing the family relationship • Proof of income or financial capacity to support the F-1 holder
A-1~A-3 diplomat, government official or international agreement sponsor (F-1-3): • Dependent must NOT be counted in the sponsor's registered household (세대) — that's what makes them F-1-3 rather than the standard A-series family track • Issued abroad as a visa, capped at 1 year, single-entry
For most F-1 categories, the sponsoring party must demonstrate household income meeting the 기준 중위소득 threshold for the combined household size. F-1-1, F-1-2, and F-1-4 don't have a confirmed standalone sponsor-requirements profile on this site — confirm current requirements directly with immigration or an 행정사 before relying on any assumed category for these.
Stay duration and work restrictions
Duration: F-1 is typically issued for 1 year, renewable annually.
Work restrictions: Standard F-1 holders cannot work without separate work authorization. There is no inherent work right on F-1 — unlike F-2, F-4, F-5, or F-6. If you need to work in Korea, you need to qualify for a separate work visa.
F-1 vs F-3: F-3 is for immediate family (spouse and children) accompanying a specific visa holder, issued alongside the main visa. F-1 is for extended family members, adult children of residents, elderly parents, and situations where F-3 does not apply.
Conseils des 행정사
F-1 is non-employment status — if you need to work in Korea, F-1 alone won't cover it. Plan your visa strategy around whether work is intended from the start.
F-1-D is not a sponsored dependent status: it rests on your own remote work for an overseas business or employer, your income and your medical insurance. Accompanying family members' status depends on the main F-1-D holder.
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Questions fréquentes
What is the difference between F-1 (family visit) and F-3 (dependent companion)?
F-3 is for the immediate family (spouse and children) accompanying a specific visa holder — directly issued alongside the main visa. F-1 is a broader family visit category for extended family members, adult children, elderly parents, and situations where F-3 does not apply.
I am the parent of a Korean university student (D-2). Can I visit on F-1?
Not on F-1-2 — the manual has no such route. Two F-1 codes cover parents of students. F-1-15 lets a student who has been studying for 6 months or more in a master's or doctoral programme at a Korean university invite their own or their spouse's parents (up to two at a time). F-1-13 is for a parent or close relative accompanying a self-funded minor student at high-school level or below, one per student. Neither the manual's F-1 sections nor the Ministry of Justice's Visa Navigator lists an F-1 route for parents of undergraduate D-2 students, so for a brief visit a short-term C-3 visa or visa-free entry is the option.