1. What are Visa and Status of Stay?

For a foreign national to legally remain in Korea,

both a Visa and an appropriate Status of Stay are required according to the purpose of stay (work, study, marriage, etc.).

Visa: Indicates the purpose of entry into Korea

Status of Stay: Defines how long you may stay in Korea and for what reason

When there is a change in personal circumstances or life status,

the Status of Stay must also be adjusted accordingly.

Examples:

• D-2 (Student) → D-10 (Job Seeker)

• D-10 (Job Seeker) → E-7 (Specialty Occupation)

•  Other visas → F-6 (Marriage Migrant)

• Preparing for long-term residence → F-5 (Permanent Residency)

2. When should you apply for Extension, Change of Status, Invitation, or Permanent Residency?

• Extension of Stay (Extension)

Apply when you wish to continue staying in Korea under the same Status of Stay before it expires.

(Usually possible from 4 months before the expiration date)

Example: A student continuing studies, or a worker continuing employment at the same company.

• Change of Status (Change of Status)

When your purpose of stay changes due to a change of workplace, qualification for skilled worker status (E-7-4), marriage, etc.,

you must apply for a new visa type that matches your new purpose.

Examples:

D-2 → D-10,

D-10 → E-7,

E-9 → E-7,

F-1 → F-6, etc.

• Family / Spouse Invitation (Invitation)

The process of inviting family members living abroad (spouse, children, parents, etc.) to Korea.

• Permanent Residency (F-5) and Naturalization

The stage of applying for permanent residency or Korean citizenship for long-term and stable settlement in Korea.

3. Why do many people experience difficulties when applying for a visa?

Visa processing is not about preparing a large number of documents,

but about preparing them accurately according to Immigration review standards.

Many applicants receive requests for additional documents or face rejection for the following reasons:

• They do not clearly know what to prepare

Each visa type requires different documents and follows different review criteria.

Relying only on information found online often leads to missing critical documents.

Su (秀) Administrative Office

provides a checklist based on the review standards of each visa type,

guiding you to prepare only the necessary and correct documents.

• They submitted documents but received a request for supplementation

Immigration does not simply check whether documents exist.

They comprehensively assess financial capability, work experience, academic background, authenticity of marriage,

 and the validity of the purpose of stay.

Even if documents are submitted, insufficient explanation can result in a request for additional documents or rejection.