Today, we will look into the D84 visa, also known as the Technology Start-up Visa, which allows foreigners to apply for a visa without investing capital
First, the D84 visa can be divided into those who are subject to the point system and those who are exempt from it. Since most applicants for the D84 visa fall under the point system category, let's focus on that.
Target of the D-8-4 (Technology Start-up) visa
- Individuals who have obtained a
Associate degree or higher in South Korea or a foreign country, or individuals recommended by the head of a relevant central administrative agency - Those who have scored 80 points or more out of a total of 448 points according to the point system ※At least one of the essential items must be met - Those who have established a South Korean corporation and completed corporation registration and business registration.
D-8-4 Visa Points/Scoring Criteria
◆ Essential Items (Total 313 points) ◆
◆ Optional Items (Total 135 points) ◆
◆ OASIS Program 80 points Example ◆
OASIS-4 Technology Start-up Competency Education (3 days, 25 points)
OASIS-5 Mentoring (10 hours, 15 points)
OASIS-8 Corporation Establishment (2 weeks, 15 points)
OASIS-1 Intellectual Property Ownership Education (2 days, 15 points)
Patent Application (1 month, 20 points)
Required Documents for D84 (Technology Start-up) Visa Application
1.Application form (Form No. 34)
2. Passport
3. One standard-sized photo copy
4. Alien Card
5. Copy of degree certificate (Apostille) or letter of recommendation
6. Documentation proving points in the point system (OASIS Certificate, 80+ points)
7. Corp. Registration Certificate
8. Business Certificate
9. Residence Agreement
10. Office Rent Agreement
11. Patent, utility, or design application
12. Personal Bank Statement(Korean)
Start-up Immigration Comprehensive Support System (OASIS) Program
OASIS Program - Intellectual Property Ownership Basic Education : 15 points
○ (Purpose) Education on the basics required for acquiring (applying for) intellectual property rights and the skills required for staying in Korea
○ (Content) A total of 18 hours (2-3 hours per day for 2 weeks) of education is provided, and all classes are conducted in the language suitable for the participants. Completion is recognized with attendance of 80% or higher
☞ Instructors: Legal professionals, patent examiners, and individuals with over 5 years of experience in IP-related work, proficient in foreign languages
Time | Content |
0.5 | Orientation and Course Introduction |
2.0 | Understanding Immigration Laws and Regulations |
2.0 | Basic Understanding of Korean Society |
2.0 | Generating Invention Ideas |
2.0 | Overview of Intellectual Property Rights |
3.0 | Understanding Patent System (Requirements and Application Procedures) |
3,0 | Understanding Patent Specifications and Basic Patent Information Search |
2.0 | Basic Trademark Law (Requirements and Application Procedures) |
2.0 | Basic Design Law (Requirements and Application Procedures) |
0.5 | Survey and Graduation Ceremony (Introduction to Advanced Courses) |
OASIS Program - Intellectual Property knowledge Advanced Education (25 points)
○ (Purpose) Education on advanced topics required for acquiring (applying for) intellectual property rights and advanced skills for staying in Korea.
○ (Content) A total of 25 hours (2-3 hours per day for 12 days) of education is provided, and all classes are conducted in the language suitable for the participants. Completion is recognized with attendance of 80% or higher.
☞ Instructors: Legal professionals, patent examiners, and individuals with over 5 years of experience in IP-related work, proficient in foreign languages.
Time | Content |
0.5 | Orientation and Course Introduction |
2.0 | Understanding Immigration Laws and Regulations |
2.0 | Advanced Understanding of Korean Society |
3.0 | Advanced Patent Information Search |
3.0 | Practical Patent Information Search (Results Presentation and Sharing) |
3.0 | Understanding and Writing Patent Applications |
4.0 | Writing Patent Applications and Advanced Understanding of Patent Specifications (Results Presentation and Sharing) |
3.0 | Major Reasons for Rejection and solutions |
3.0 | Interpretation of Patent Claims and Infringement Judgment |
2.0 | Understanding Patent Examination and Litigation Systems |
0.5 | Survey and Graduation Ceremony |
OASIS-3 Intellectual Property Rights Application Support
○ (Purpose) Support for patent applications to the Korean Intellectual Property Office for outstanding items with high creativity among excellent graduates of intellectual property education
○ (Content) Support covers application costs and opinion submission costs (within 50% of the total application cost). Limited to one item per person, and support is available for patents, utility models, and designs (excluding trademarks)
☞ To promote the domestic rights acquisition of outstanding patent technologies and secure technological competitiveness, contributing to settlement support for start-up immigrants and the development of domestic industries
Category | Application Fee ① | Opinion Submission ② | Registration Fee ③ | Patent Office Fees ④ | Total |
Patent | 1,500,000 KRW | 500,000 KRW | 1,500,000 KRW | 460,000 KRW | 3,960,000 KRW |
utility model | 1,000,000 KRW | 300,000 KRW | 1,000,000 KRW | 210,000 KRW | 2,510,000 KRW |
Design | 500,000 KRW | 200,000 KRW | 500,000 KRW | 140,000 KRW | 1,340,000 KRW |
* Only ① and ② are supported; ③ and ④ are self-financed (supported within 50% of the total application cost)
OASIS-4 Technology Start-up Competency Education (25 points)
○ (Purpose) Education for foreign nationals with basic technical skills required for entrepreneurship. Practical competency education needed for actual start-ups
○ (Content) A total of 20 hours (3 weeks, 2 hours per day) of education is provided, and all classes are conducted in the language suitable for the participants. Completion is recognized with attendance of 80% or higher
☞ Instructors: Experts with both theoretical and practical knowledge in foreigner start-up related fields, fluent in English, and qualified individuals in the respective subject areas (patent attorney, lawyer, certified public accountant, tax accountant, appraiser, engineer, etc.), or those with a strong passion and determination in the field of technology start-ups
Time | Content |
0.5 | Orientation and Course Introduction |
2.0 | Understanding Immigration Laws and Regulations |
2.0 | Advanced Understanding of Korean Society, including Business Culture |
2.0 | Understanding Business Operations and Taxation System |
2.0 | Real Estate Practices (Leasing Systems, Lease Protection, etc.) |
2.0 | Understanding Target Marketing and Practical Application |
2.0 | Theory and Practice of Business Plan Writing |
2.0 | Understanding Policies Related to Supporting Small Business Start-ups |
2.0 | Understanding Legal Regulations Related to Entrepreneurship and Corporate Governance (Labor, Economy, etc.) |
2.0 | Presentation to Investors and Shareholders |
2.0 | Advanced Understanding Korean Society (Including experiences and on-site training shared by senior entrepreneurs) |
0.5 | Survey and Graduation Ceremony |
OASIS-5 Start-up Coaching and Mentoring (15 points)
○ (Purpose) Providing specialized coaching and mentoring on practical entrepreneurship matters such as location selection, market research, and consumer analysis
○ (Content) 1:1 professional coaching and experience sharing through mentors such as successful start-up immigrants, start-up experts, etc., and field visits to minimize initial start-up failure rates
☞ Points are recognized only when there are a minimum of 3 sessions (10 hours) of dedicated coaching and mentoring
OASIS-6 Invention and Start-up Competition (25 points)
○ (Purpose) Creating opportunities for outstanding inventions and start-up items by foreigners to be discovered, facilitating market development and investment linkage, etc
○ (Content) Discovering outstanding inventions and start-up ideas among prospective technology immigrant entrepreneurs, facilitating technology transactions, investment consultations, and creating opportunities for linkage
☞ universities hosting foreign students, collaboration with corporate research institutes, investment companies, etc. Prizes are awarded to winners
OASIS-7 Start-up Incubation Graduation (Providing Start-up Space) (15 points)
○ (Purpose) Providing a stable start-up environment by offering initial start-up space to prospective start-up immigrants who are ready to start their businesses
○ (Content) Providing initial start-up space to outstanding graduates of intellectual property and start-up support programs, as well as winners of invention and start-up competitions
☞ Graduation is recognized only after at least 6 months of occupancy in the start-up incubation center
OASIS-8 Corporation Establishment Support
○ (Purpose) Supporting the essential establishment of a corporation required for acquiring the start-up visa, thereby supporting successful settlement for start-up immigrants
○ (Content) Comprehensive support for administrative tasks and corporate registration necessary for establishing a corporation required for the start-up visa.
☞ Administrative tasks and corporate registration required for establishing a corporation are supported comprehensively
OASIS-9 Start-up Item Commercialization Support (25 points)
○ (Purpose) Supporting success in start-up immigration by providing policy support for what is absolutely necessary during the initial stage of entrepreneurship.
○ (Content) Support includes initial business capital, R&D linkage, post-start-up management, etc
☞ Targeting prospective entrepreneurs and those within one year of starting their businesses among start-up visa holders
※ The determination of whether the invention or start-up item of a foreigner falls under OASIS-9 is recognized by the Chief of the Ministry of Justice (Residence Management Division) through individual official notices