What is the Visiting and Co-residence Visa (F-1)?
The Visiting and Co-residence (F-1) visa can be applied for by individuals who intend to stay in Korea for purposes such as visiting relatives, living with family, being a dependent, handling domestic affairs, or other similar reasons.
Among the various categories under this visa, this article focuses on the F-1-5 visa for child-rearing support.
Child-Rearing Support (F-1-5)
Family members, such as parents of a marriage immigrant, may apply for a Visiting and Co-residence visa if they intend to enter Korea to support child-rearing.
For a foreign spouse, living alone in Korea can be very challenging. Even with the support of a Korean spouse, feelings of homesickness and longing for family are common. This becomes even more significant in situations such as pregnancy, where additional care and support are needed.
For this reason, the F-1-5 visa is granted as a special measure to allow family members to enter Korea and assist with the care of children of a foreign spouse who is married to a Korean national.
Eligibility for Invitation
The inviter must be either:
- A Korean national spouse, or
- A marriage immigrant who has obtained Korean nationality or permanent residency
If the marriage immigrant has not yet obtained permanent residency, the Korean spouse may act as the inviter.
Eligible Invitees
In principle, the invitee will be:
- The father or mother of the marriage immigrant
However, there are exceptions:
- If both parents cannot enter Korea, and
- If the invitee does not have minor children of their own
Then the following may also be eligible:
- Siblings
- Children from a previous marriage
Number of Invitations
Proper planning of invitations is very important, especially when there are multiple children.
Standard Cases (Non-multiple children)
- Limited to 2 invitations per child
- Invitation allowed until September 30 of the year the child turns 9 (by Korean age system)
According to recent guidelines:
- Each invitation allows a stay extension of up to 3 years
- The second invitation may allow extension up to 4 years
- If there are humanitarian reasons such as childbirth, even the first invitation may be extended up to 4 years
Therefore, up to 7 years of total stay may be possible with two invitations.
However:
- The invitee must exit Korea after each period of stay
- After staying for 3–4 years, the invitee must leave Korea and reapply for a visa from their home country
Cases with Multiple Children
For families with multiple children:
- Invitations are allowed until September 30 of the year the youngest child turns 12
- Maximum stay extension per invitation is 3 years
There is no limit on the number of invitations,
but the 4-year extension benefit does not apply in these cases.
Required Documents
Basic documents include:
- Application form
- ID and passport copy
Key documents include:
- Invitation letter
- Letter of guarantee
- Written pledge to prevent illegal stay and employment
The invitation letter is particularly important and must clearly demonstrate sufficient reasons for child-rearing support.
Work Restrictions
This visa is intended for child-rearing purposes, so:
- Employment activities are generally prohibited
To prevent misuse of the visa:
- Illegal employment is strictly prohibited
- Violations may lead to penalties under immigration law
- Future invitations may also be restricted
Important Considerations
The F-1-5 visa is designed to support the welfare of children by allowing family members to provide child-rearing assistance.
Therefore, the purpose of the invitation must align with this intent.
- The invitation letter must clearly reflect the child-rearing purpose
- Activities inconsistent with the visa purpose must be avoided
Closing Remarks
T-1 Administrative Attorney Office is an officially authorized immigration service agency under the Ministry of Justice.
We have assisted numerous marriage immigrants in successfully inviting their family members to Korea. We are especially grateful that many clients return to us for repeat invitations after their first successful application.
If you require accurate and efficient assistance with family invitations for marriage immigrants,
please feel free to contact T-One Administrative Attorney Office at any time.
We are committed to being your reliable partner every step of the way.