Today, I went to the Sejong-ro Immigration Office in the morning to extend a D7 visa.
The applicant was an executive from a German company's domestic branch in Korea for whom I handle visa matters. I had previously applied for and obtained a D7 visa (dispatch) for this individual.
First, many people often confuse the differences between the D7 visa and D8 visa, as well as the eligibility criteria for the D7 visa. Please check the link below for more information on the eligibility criteria for the D7 visa
When we examine the eligibility criteria for the D7 visa, it primarily pertains to corporate investment. In other words, individuals who qualify for the D8 visa are excluded from obtaining a D7 visa.
Let me explain briefly
If a foreign company has completed the registration of a domestic branch office (business office registration) and holds a domestic branch office installation permit, they qualify for a D7 visa. On the other hand, if a foreigner has completed foreign investment reporting, transferred investment funds, gone through corporate registration procedures, and obtained a foreign investment enterprise certificate, they qualify for a D8 visa.
In fact, the most significant difference between D8 and D7 visas is that D8 visas require a minimum investment of over 100 million KRW in foreign currency to enter Korea, while D7 visas do not have a specific investment fund requirement.
However, in the case of D7 visas, when a foreign company initially establishes a branch office in Korea and sends dispatched personnel (specialized professionals) to the branch office, a business plan submission is required for the first confirmation of visa issuance. In this case, the operating funds stated in the business plan must be introduced.
Furthermore, if some time has passed, and another specialized professional is invited as a D7 visa holder or if the existing specialized professional extends their D7 visa, and the domestic branch office has generated sufficient sales performance, you may be exempt from submitting proof of operating funds.
In contrast, for D8 visas, if a foreign company establishes a domestic branch office, it can invite employees from the headquarters or affiliated companies using D8 visas.
In this case, specific conditions apply, such as one employee per 100 million KRW of investment, one employee per 10 billion KRW of annual sales revenue, and one employee per 1 billion KRW of annual tax payments. Additionally, a dispatch order from the headquarters is required.
Unlike D7 visas, there is no requirement for these employees to be specialized professionals.
※The conditions mentioned above only apply when a foreign company establishes a domestic branch office. If a foreign individual establishes a domestic corporation, these conditions do not apply.
However, for D7 visas, it is a strict requirement that the applicant must be a specialized professional, as mentioned earlier, to enter Korea.
Now, let's take a look at the basic documents required for extending a D7 visa
D7 Visa Extension Required Documents
① Passport, Alien Registration Card, and Integrated Application Form
② proof of residence
- Lease agreement, real estate registration certificate, etc
- If accommodation is provided: Confirmation of residential accommodation provided and a copy of the provider's identification front and back (if the provider's address differs from the actual place of residence, additional documents be required, such as a lease agreement or real estate registration certificate)
③ Foreigner's Occupational Report
④ Dispatch Order (Issued by the Foreign Headquarters) or Certificate of Employment (From the Foreign Headquarters)
⑤ Copy of Domestic Branch Installation Permit or Contact Office Installation Permit (Issued by a foreign exchange bank)
⑥ Proof of Operating Fund Inflow: Foreign exchange purchase certificate, lease agreement, etc
⑦ Personal Tax Payment Verification Documents (Original personal tax payment verification or last year's income withholding tax receipt or income amount certificate)