Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco

Consular/Visa Service

Visa Application

Consular/Visa Service
Visa Application

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F-4 Visa (Overseas Korean visa)

DATE: 2023-10-19

FILE

1. Eligibility

① A person who has had Korean nationality and acquired foreign nationality

② A person with a parent(s) or grandparent(s) of foreign nationality who once held Korean nationality

※ For the visa applicants to be able to apply for F-4 visa, Korean nationality loss report (국적상실신고) or Korean nationality renunciation report (국적이탈신고) must be preceded. Regarding Korean nationality loss report (국적상실신고), please click here.

※ F-4 visas issued from June 1st, 2022 are multiple-entry visa valid for 5 years with periods of stay up to 2 years.

※ F-4 visa holders should apply for a Resident Card(거소증) at the local Immigration Office in Korea within 90 days of their arrival to Korea.

※ F-4 visa holders are not allowed to get a job in the field of a simple labor service or activities against virtuous public customs.

2. Ineligibility

① If a Korean male between 18 to 40 years old who had dual citizenship formally renounced Korean nationality after May 1st, 2018 without performing Korean military service, he will not be able to obtain F-4 visa until the year when he becomes 41 years old.

②If a Korean male between 18 to 40 years old became naturalized to another nationality after May 1st, 2018 without performing Korean military service, he will not be able to obtain F-4 visa until the year when he becomes 41 years old.

③ An applicant who has violated the Korean Immigration Law in the past 3 years and charged with fines ￦7,000,000 total

④ An applicant who sentenced to jail in the past 5 years

3. Required documents

① Visa application form (attached 1)
※ All visa applicants must use the Visa Application Form updated on Feb 7th, 2022(attached to this post). We will return the applications without processing them if the visa applicant uses the old visa application forms.
※ You must fill it out without leaving any section blank and put your name and signature on the last page.

▶ 1.1 Full name in English : Your name must be same on your passport.

▶ 1.7 National Identity No. : SSN
▶ 2.2 Status of Stay : Visa type (F-4)
▶ 4.5 Emergency Contact Information : a person in the U.S.
   ▶ 10.1 Estimated travel costs(in US dollars) : Amount that you plan to spend during your stay in Korea (If you are applying for a long-term visa, the total amount that you will spend for the first 3 months)
   ▶ 10.2 c) Type of Support : List or explain the things that you will spend the amount that you state in section 10.1 (e.g. living expenses, round-trip flight, travel expenses, etc.)

② 1 photo taken within 6 months (35mm x 45mm or 2inch x 2inch, full face without hat, front view against white or off-white background)

③ Original (physical, actual) passport and 1 copy of the passport (The passport must have more than 6 months of validity)
※ Passport copy : Photocopy the page that has your photo and personal information. You do not need to get notarization for copies of your passport and green card(U.S. visa).

④ 1 copy of U.S. green card or long-term visa (if the visa applicant is not U.S. passport holder)

※ A valid I-797 copy can be acceptable as a U.S. long-term visa.

⑤ Visa processing fee ($45 for Americans, $90 for Canadians, etc.) by money order or cash only (Pay to : Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in SF)

* For the visa processing fee for other nationalities, please click here.

⑥ 1 Original hardcopy of the Korean Basic Certificate(기본증명서) which shows the record of loss or renunciation of Korean nationality (Must be issued within 3 months)

※ You can apply for a Basic Certificate(기본증명서) to our office when you apply for a visa to our office. For how to apply for a Basic certificate(기본증명서), please click here.

※ If your Korean nationality loss/renunciation report(국적상실신고 or 국적이탈신고) was completed before Jan 1th, 2008, you must submit your Family census registry(제적등본) instead of Basic Certificate(기본증명서). The Family census registry(제적등본) also must be the original hardcopy issued within 3 months.

※ If you never had Korean nationality and are applying for F-4 visa as a person whose parent or grandparent had a Korean nationality and has acquired a foreign nationality, then you must submit your parents' or grandparent's Basic Certificate(기본증명서) or Family census registry(제적등본) which shows the record of loss or renunciation of Korean nationality of your parents/grandparents along with your birth certificate copy.

⑦ Original naturalization certificate(U.S. citizenship certificate) and (1) photocopy of the naturalization certificate

(Original will be returned with the passport and visa.)

⑧ 1 Copy of Petition for Name Change (if applicable)

⑨ Apostilled FBI criminal background check

※ FBI criminal background check is only valid for 6 months from its date of issuance by the FBI. (Not from the date of Apostille)

ⓐ Fill out the application form electronically at https://www.edo.cjis.gov/#/ and get fingerprint at USPS (Appointment only)

ⓑ Apostille the FBI criminal background check document by U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications

How to get an apostille for the federal document :

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/records-and-authentications/authenticate-your-document/office-of-authentications.html

※ Mailing address for Apostille

U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications

CA/PPT/S/TO/AUT

44132 Mercure Cir.

PO Box 1206

Sterling, VA 20166-1206

Phone:202-485-8000

Monday through Friday (Closed Federal Holidays)

※ If you are a U.S. green card or long-term visa holder, you must submit not only your FBI criminal background check(apostilled) but also your home country's criminal background check (either apostilled or consular confirmation(영사확인) depending on the country).

e.g. Canadian RCMP Criminal background check : You must get a consular confirmation(영사확인) from the Korean Embassy or Consulates in Canada.

※ Exemption of the apostilled FBI criminal background check : ⓐ 60 years of age or more, ⓑ Children under 13 years of age, ⓒ Independence patriots and family of the deceased, ⓓ Special contributor

⑩ Certificate of Proficiency in Korean language (one of the following documents) : ⓐ TOPIK first grade or more, ⓑ Sejong Hakdang elementary level 1B or more

※ Exemption of the Korean language proficiency proof : ⓐ He or she had Korean nationality in the past, ⓑ 60 years of age or more, ⓒ Children under 13 years of age, ⓓ He or she has lived in Korea with the F-4 visa over 3 years

⑪ Korean males between 18 to 40 years old without performing Korean military service who have become an American citizen before May 1st, 2018 must submit a copy of one or both parents' citizenship certificate, naturalization paper, or permanent residency card along with their family relationship certificate(가족관계증명서).

※ Korean males with performing Korean military service must submit a copy of the certificate of military completion or military waiver issued by Military Man Power.

⑫ Self-addressed return envelope with a prepaid-label or stamp which has tracking (In case you want to get your passport and visa back by mail)

※ Please note that there can be additional documents required by the Consulate after the Consulate reviews your visa application documents.

※ Please note that our office cannot process your visa and will return your passport and documents without notifying you if there are missing documents and/or missing information in your documents. This can also happen if you applied in-person after making an appointment to drop off your documents. Please check thoroughly before submitting.

4. How to submit the visa application

- By mail (mail all the required documents, with Tracking, in envelope to 3500 Clay St., San Francisco, CA 94118)

※ The Consulate is not responsible for a lost or damaged mail.

※ Beginning December 1st, 2022, the Korean Consulate in San Francisco will only accept packages from USPS. This applies to not only visa submissions but also for a self-addressed return envelope (No other couriers such as FedEx, UPS, etc.) We will return the application without processing it if it sent by any other courier. There will be a grace period (acceptance of FedEx, UPS, etc.) until December 31, 2022.

※ We recommend all the visa applicants to use tracking for postage/prepaid-labels such as USPS priority, USPS priority express as the package will contain your important documents such as your original passport.

- In-person (You must make an appointment on the online portal prior to your visit. Please click here for how to make an appointment.)

※ If it is hard to get an appointment, it is faster to mail your visa application documents instead of waiting for an available appointment.

※ Submitting your visa application by a third party or a family member is not allowed.

※ Do not submit an application if your planned arrival in Korea is more than 3 months away.

5. Processing time

- Approximately 2 weeks from the submission date

※ Please note that we do not provide any updates regarding your visa processing status. Please do not call or email asking the update.
※ Due to an extremely high volume of visa applications we are currently experiencing a 2 week processing time for all visa requests. We do not provide any expedited services and operate on a first come first served basis. Thus, please plan accordingly for your travel plans and submit your visa application considering the aforementioned visa processing time.

※ If you prefer to pick up your passport and visa instead of getting them by mail, you must bring your valid photo ID such as driver's license, green card, etc. when you visit our office. We do not give back your passport and visa to a third person if you are not the visa applicant. You do not need to make an appointment for the pick-up.

6. Observation

- The visa issuance will be determined after reviewing your visa application documents.

- Please note that not following the proper procedure to apply for a visa can automatically result in denial of visa. Furthermore, any verbal abuse or unlawful behavior and actions are grounds for denial of visa issuance and may prevent future visa applications.

- All visa applicants are responsible to prepare their visa application and any document they submit. The Korean Consulate in San Francisco does not provide any pre-reviewing service for visa application. If any information or documents submitted along with the visa application are verified as false statements or falsified, they will cause denial of visa issuance and may prevent future visa applications.

- Visa stickers are no longer issued in your passport. The visa grant notice (letter-sized paper that is issued to you with the return of your passport) is your visa that you must bring for entry to Korea.

- If the visa applicant is verified as a dual citizen of Korea, as the visa applicant holds Korean nationality as well, he/she is not eligible to apply for any Korean visa. The Consulate requires additional documents to verify the dual citizenship status of the visa applicant if necessary.

7. Notice to Persons born overseas to one or both parents of Korean nationality

- Korean nationality laws state that a child born anywhere overseas to parents of Korean citizenship might be dual citizen even if the birth is not registered in Korea because they have inherited the Korean nationality from their parents.

- A child born overseas up to June 13, 1998, automatically follows their father’s country of citizenship.

- A child born overseas beginning June 14, 1998, to a father and mother who became naturalized (or never had Korean nationality) before the child’s birth, the child DOES NOT have dual citizenship.

- If either the father or mother was a Korean national at the time of the child's birth who were born after June 14, 1998, the child Is a dual citizen and the birth must be registered in Korea.

- The child may choose to formally renounce their Korean citizenship, called “Gook Jeok E-tal Shin Go,” (국적이탈신고).

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