Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco

1. 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 (D-2, D-4, etc.) 

   ▶ 4.5 Emergency Contact Information : a person in the U.S.  

   ▶ 9 Details of Invitation : please fill it out with the information of the school in Korea where you will study. 

   ▶ 10 Funding Details : please fill it out thoroughly with the true information. If there are multiple funding sources, please specify all. You can use an annexed paper.  

   ▶ 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)  

 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, $60 for Canadians, Chinese, Indians, 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 Certificate of Admission (Not a letter of acceptance) 

   ※ The visa applicant must sign on the bottom left part of the original certificate of admission after reading it. 

 ⑦ 1 copy of Business registration certificate of the university in Korea (issued within 3 months of visa application)

 ⑧ Proof of enrollment from the visa applicant's current university/college in the U.S.  

   e.g.) Original hardcopy of the official transcript issued within a month, Original enrollment verification certificate issued within a month 

   ※ If the visa applicant is not a university/college student at the time of visa application submission, the visa applicant must submit the original hardcopy of his/her highest academic diploma.

 ⑨ Funding details (Latest bank statement(s) of the visa applicant and/or visa applicant's parents)

  ※ Though the visa applicant gets scholarship and submits a scholarship letter(s), the visa applicant still must submit a bank statement(s) of which the balance is more than $1,000 x (number of months staying in Korea) as a proof of the visa applicant's financial ability for any expenses that will incur during the stay in Korea.

  ※ You can only submit either your own bank statement or your parents' bank statement. (Not other family member's bank statement)  

  ※ A bank statement from the visa applicant that has more than one name on it, such as a parent's name, MUST submit a copy of his/her birth certificate. 

  ※ If you are submitting any scholarship letter, the letter must specify the amount, what the scholarship is for, etc. and must be signed/sealed by the dean/president of the school/scholarship granting organization. It must be the original hardcopy and we do not accept any electronic signature. 

 ⑩ (If your parents are funding your trip and stay in Korea) 1 copy of the visa applicant's birth certificate  

   ※ If your birth certificate is in another language rather than in Korean or in English, you must submit your family relationship document along with its translation in Korean or in English notarized by a notary public. 

 ⑪ Self-addressed return envelope with a prepaid-label or stamp which has tracking number (In case you want to get your passport and visa back by 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.) 

 ※ 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.

2. How to submit the visa application 

 - By mail (mail all the required documents,  with Tracking number, 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.  

 ※ The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco serves Northern California, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Our office only accepts visa applications of the residents in our jurisdiction.  

3. Processing time 

 - Approximately 2-3 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.

4. 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.