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Corporate Investment Visa Issuance and Stay in Korea

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  • Visa Issuance·Stay in Korea
  • Corporate Investment Visa Issuance and Stay in Korea
Please refer to the information below Please refer to the information below
  • Immigration office having jurisdiction over the place of sojourn
    • Application for a visa issuance certificate
    • Send to the foreigner
  • Diplomatic missions abroad
    • Application for visa issuance
    • Arrival in Korea – Within 90 days
  • Immigration office having jurisdiction over the place of sojourn
    • Foreigner registration (Issuance of alien registration card)
    • Change in applicant’s visa status
    • Extension of period of stay
    • Granting of status of sojourn (Report of the birth of a child – Report within 90 days from the date of birth)
    • Approval of re-entry
    • Report of changes to foreigner
    • New/additional workplace within same profession (Report within 14 days)
    • New/additional workplace (Report within 14 days)
  • Immigration office having jurisdiction over the place of sojourn and heads of si/gun/gu/eup/myeon/dong offices
    • Change in place of sojourn (Report change of address within 14 days)
  • Immigration inspection
    • Departure from Korea (Return the alien registration card)
Investment Consulting Center [ICC, KOTRA]
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Visa Issuance

Procedures
The Minister of Justice has the authority to issue visas, but the authority may be delegated to heads of diplomatic offices as prescribed by Presidential Decree. Consequently, a foreigner may apply for and obtain a visa from the head of a diplomatic office; arrive in Korea and go through immigration at the airport to obtain a status and period of stay (when holding a short-term visa or when the foreigner is a citizen of a visa waiver country); or may obtain a certificate or number of visa issuance confirmation from the immigration office, submit the certificate to a diplomatic office, and obtain a visa.
Visa Issuance
  • ‌A foreigner may apply for visa issuance to the head of a diplomatic office and obtain a visa.
    Scope of visa issuance: Visas delegated by the Minister of Justice, mostly for short-term visits
  • A foreigner who plans to enter Korea may directly apply for and obtain a visa, or the inviting party may apply for and obtain a certificate or number of visa issuance confirmation from the immigration office with jurisdiction over the inviting party’s place of residence. In the case of the latter, a foreigner who plans to enter may state the number of visa issuance confirmation on the visa application form, submit it to the head of a diplomatic office, and obtain a visa.
  • A foreigner who holds a short-term visa or is from a visa waiver country must change their status (D-8, etc.) at the immigration office.
※ Validity of the certificate of visa issuance confirmation: Three months

Alien Registration

Any foreigner holding a long-term visa that permits a stay of 91 days or more must apply for alien registration within 90 days from the date of entry at the local immigration office with jurisdiction over their residence.

Change of the Status of Sojourn

In order for a foreigner to engage in activities that do not fall under the previously approved status of sojourn, the foreigner must obtain permission for the change of the status of sojourn. A foreigner who engages in other activities beyond the status of sojourn without permission may be punished with a fine not exceeding KRW 20 million or a deportation order.

Reporting Changes

Change of Workplace
A foreigner who plans to change or add his/her workplace within his/her status of sojourn must obtain an approval of change or addition of workplace in advance. However, a foreigner who possesses professional knowledge, technology, and skills (publicly notified by the Ministry of Justice) may apply for approval within 15 days of the day of the change/addition of workplace. A workplace which hires or brokers the employment of a foreigner without the approval may be subject to a fine not exceeding KRW 10 million or be deported.
Activities Beyond the Ones Permitted Under the
In order for a foreigner to engage in activities beyond the ones permitted under his/ her status of stay, he/she must obtain a permission for the activities. A foreigner who engages in other activities without permission may face a fine not exceeding KRW 30 million or a deportation order.
Change of Residence
A foreigner who changes his/her place of residence must report the change to the head of the Si/Gun/Gu/Eup/Myeon/Dong office or to a local immigration office with jurisdiction over the new place of residence within 15 days of moving into the new place of residence. Failure to do so can result in a fine not exceeding KRW 1 million.
Obligations of Employers of Foreigners
When an employer who hires a foreigner eligible for employment with visas such as short-term employment (C-4) to vessel crew (E-10) and Work and Visit (H-2) has dismissed the foreigner, or when the foreigner resigns, dies, goes missing or important matters in the terms of employment are amended, the employer shall report such fact to the head of the competent local immigration office within 15 days of becoming aware of such circumstances. Failure to do so may result in a fine not exceeding KRW 2 million.