Today, through a case where I applied for visa issuance approval with a D-8 visa at the Seoul Immigration Office, we will look at what needs to be checked and what documents are required when inviting affiliate employees and their families to a foreign-invested corporation with a D-8 visa.
As I mentioned in a previous post, foreign-invested corporation are not limited to inviting foreign professionals with an E-7 visa, they can also invite them with a D-8 corporate investment visa.
However, there are conditions:
It is only possible when a foreign local corporation (headquarters) that has invested in Korea and established a foreign-invested corporation (branch) sends employees from that foreign corporation (headquarters).
※ If the corporation has affiliates, it is also possible to invite employees from those affiliates.
If a corporation located abroad did not establish a foreign-invested corporation in Korea, but instead, an individual located abroad established a foreign-invested corporation in Korea, then it is not possible to invite employees with a D-8 visa.
In principle, if the initial capital is 100 million KRW or more, one person can be invited for every 100 million KRW. For example, if there is a foreign-invested company established with an initial capital of 500 million KRW, at least one person would have entered Korea with a D-8 visa.
In this case, since 100 million KRW has already been used for the visa issuance approval for that one person, it becomes possible to invite one person per 100 million KRW for the remaining 400 million KRW.
Furthermore, since the foreign-invested corporation is engaged in business activities in Korea, it will naturally generate revenue. In this case, you can invite one person for every 1 billion KRW in revenue and one person for every 100 million KRW in tax payment performance.
When applying for a D-8 investment visa, Certificate of Foreign-Invested Company Registration is needed.
Today, what I worked on was a case of inviting an employee from a subsidiary of a German company along with his wife and daughter. The employee applied for confirmation of visa issuance as D-8 visa, and of course, his wife and daughter applied for an F3 visa as accompanying dependents. So, first, let's take a look at the documents needed when inviting with a D8 visa.
Required documents for applying D-8 visa
Required documents from the applicant
1. Copy of the passport
2. One(1) passport size photo (white background, taken within 6 months)
3. Copy of resume
4. Copy of university degree (If not in English, it needs to be just translated)
5. Certificate of residence
6. Certificate of annual income
7. Foreigner ocuupation and Anuual income report
Required documents from headquarter office
1. Original assignment letter (signed)
2. Original certificate of employment (signed)
Required documents from local sponsoring office
1. Copy of certificate of foreign invested company
2. Original circumstantial statement of change of shareholder
3. Original certificate of tax payment covering recent one year period
4. Original Tax Payment Certificate
5. Original Local Tax Payment Certificate
6. Original certificate of VAT
7. Copy of business registration
8. Original certificate of corporation registration
9. Documents demonstrating the transfer of investment capitals
- Permission (declaration) of foreign currency transfer or confirmation of remittance issued by the Customs or a bank of the respective country - Investment funds introduction statement, confirmation of foreign currency transfer, certificate of purchased foreign currency
10. Sales Record Certificate
11. Documents demonstrating existence of the place of business – office lease agreement
12. Application form
13. Power of attorney
14. CEO’s ID copy
matters to be confirmed for applying D-8 visa
First and foremost, you must check whether there is any tax delinquency or not. If there is a tax delinquency history, it would be difficult to get an invitation. Therefore, the following two documents are needed
4. Original Tax Payment Certificate
5. Original Local Tax Payment Certificate
Additionally, if there has been an increase or decrease in capital, a change in the total number of shares, or a change in equity
2. Original circumstantial statement of change of shareholder
you must attach documents that can prove these changes.
For small and medium-sized enterprises, you should review financial statements and value-added tax certificates to see if there is sufficient revenue or operating profit to allow for the invitation.
If there is no operating profit or revenue, it is quite difficult to apply unless you submit sufficient supporting materials that can convince the immigration officer about the reason.
In my case, to further prove certainty, I also submit a list of overseas headquarters and their affiliates, and sometimes a summarized company introduction, as a reference.
If there are multiple employees currently working in Korea with a D-8 visa, I separately create and submit a list of employees working in the Korean branch under the D-8 residency status.
※ Sometimes, immigration requires this depending on the situation.
I prepare it in advance even if there is no request for supplementary information when I think immigration might ask for it.
In the case of F3 accompanying visas, since they are dependent on D8 visas, there are no additional qualifications required for the invitee's family members, and the documents to be submitted are relatively simple.
Required documents for applying F-3 visa
① Application for confirmation of visa issuance, Copy of passport, 1 passport standard photo
② Family relationship proof documents:
Marriage certificate, certificate of family relationship records, or birth certificate, etc.
D8 visa specialist Dong-seok Cha's administrative attorney office has been appointed by various foreign invested companies and has a wide range of cases. If you have any inquiries, please feel free to contact us anytime~