null Immigration/Stay Guide

General Affairs

Permission of Stay Reference

Status that requires a reference guarantee
  • The principle requiring the following status must submit a letter of guarantee of reference to acquire permissions to stay (granting status of stay, extension of stay, change of status, change or additions to the place of employment)
    - Industrial training (D-3), Foreign Language Instructor (E-2), Arts & Performances (E-6), Special Operations (E-7),Employed Trainee (E-8), Non-professional employment (E-9), Vessel crew (E-10), Family visitation (F-1), Residency (F-2), Permanent residency (F-5), others (G-1)
  • Of all the status mentioned above, those subject to the following are exempt from letter of guarantee of reference.
    - Those with Industrial training (D-3) status, that are recommended trainees from Korea federation of small and medium business (D-3-2), National federations of fisheries cooperatives (D-3-3), Construction Association of Korea (D-3-5), or National agricultural Cooperative Federation (D-3-6) industries.
    - Those with Specially Occupations (E-7) status, that are recommended by the head of ministries as foreign high-tech workforce [Information technology (IT), electronic business (e-business), biotechnology (BT), nanotechnology (NT), advanced materials (metal, ceramic, chemical), transportation machinery, digital machinery, environmental energy]
    - Those with Family visitation (F-1) status that are overseas adoptee, household servants of diplomatic and consular personnel in Korea, who are also under 20 years of age
    - Those with Permanent Residency(F-5) status that are Korean-Chinese who entered before the government establishment date (August 15th of 1948), and a Japanese spouse of a Korean national and their direct descendants who carry Residency (F-2) status
    - Those with others (G-1) status who is a victim of an industrial accident, the victim's guardians, or those who departed Korea due to an industrial accident and are re-entering
Personal reference requirements
  • Legal adult residing within R.O.K. who has secure employment.
  • Those responsible for applications as according to Immigration Act Article 79 : Parents or legal guardians, brother or sister, personal reference of identification, and other cohabitants.
  • Unless stated otherwise, the personal reference must be made by the head of the organization or association to which the foreigner belongs to
  • Personal reference for foreign spouses of Korean citizens
    - In general, Korean national must provide personal reference for their foreign spouse However, in case of unforeseen reasons such as absence from Korea, the guardian, brother or sister, or other cohabitants of the said Korean national may make the personal reference in their stead.
  • Should the marriage with a Korean national be terminated for reasons such as the death of the Korean citizen or divorce, the foreign spouses' relatives, or other third parties may provide personal reference
Other personal reference related issues
  • As stated in Article 79 of the Immigration Act, those required to make any given application are not required to have personal reference.
  • If personal reference was withdrawn for whatever reason, a new one must be designated as soon as possible.
  • The official endorsement guarantees of reference have been abolished as of September 25th 2005

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