How Korea's Points-Based Visa Works: The Scoring System Explained

What the points-based system actually scores

Korea’s points-based residence visa — the status usually called F-2-7 — replaces a subjective review with a scored table. An applicant is awarded points across four base categories, can add a limited amount from bonus items, and then has deductions subtracted. The result is compared against a threshold set by the immigration notice in force.

The four base categories are:

• Age — younger applicants score higher; the curve falls steeply after the mid-30s.
• Education — the highest degree earned, with STEM fields and multiple degrees at the same level scoring above other fields.
• Korean language ability — TOPIK level or the completed stage of the Social Integration Program (KIIP), whichever is higher.
• Income — annual income, in bands. In the published structure this carries the most weight of any single item.

Reaching the threshold is a screening step, not an approval. The office separately reviews your base status, documents, tax and social insurance history, and immigration record. A high score with unpaid obligations does not clear the file.

Bonus items are capped — and worth the effort

On top of the base categories, the table awards additional points for a defined list of items, and this part of the score has a ceiling. Common bonus items include:

• A degree from a designated top university or from a Korean university
• A recommendation from a central government agency
• Completed KIIP stage 5
• Volunteer service in Korea, with points scaled by years of service

Because the bonus section is capped, it is the place to fill out a total that is short after the four base categories. The trade-off to remember: bonus items only help up to the cap, so once you are there, the base categories — income and Korean ability — are what continue to add points.

If you want to estimate where you stand before preparing anything, the F-2-7 points calculator applies the published table to your own answers.

Deductions and how they sink otherwise strong files

The table subtracts points for a defined set of records, in bands that grow with severity:

• Immigration penalties and departure orders
• Criminal fines and criminal records

A criminal record beyond a fine and a larger immigration penalty are the heaviest deductions. These matter twice over: they reduce the score directly, and the compliance review that follows the scoring step looks at the same history. An applicant with a strong base total but a deduction is rarely approved, because the two steps are not independent.

Some offices also apply minimum scores within individual items. That means a very high total built almost entirely on one category can still fail if another mandatory item falls below its floor. If your score leans heavily on a single item, ask your local office whether an item floor applies.

What you can actually change in one year

The four base categories are not equal in how much you can move them. Age is fixed. A degree takes years. That leaves two parts you can improve inside a single preparation cycle:

• Income — the largest item, and the one where a raise or a move to a higher-paying role moves the score most. For applicants with a solid salary, this is often what clears the threshold without a high TOPIK level.
• Korean ability and bonus items — a TOPIK level can be retaken on a known schedule, KIIP stages have published timelines, and volunteer records accumulate. These are the movable parts.

Because the threshold and the item weights are revised periodically, a comfortable margin is worth having. Clearing by two points leaves you exposed to a change mid-preparation.

For the full application picture — which base statuses can apply, the documents required, and how F-2-7 compares with F-5 permanent residency — see our guide to F-2-7 points-based residence.