Can a D-8 Investor Bring a Domestic Helper Employed Abroad to Korea? F-1 Domestic Helper Requirements and Conditions of Stay

There is a route. A domestic helper whom an investor or professional has employed abroad for at least 1 year as of the application date can enter Korea on Visiting and Joining Family (F-1) status; on the investor side it is divided into high-value investors (F-1-22) and high-tech investors (F-1-23). However, changing to this status from another status inside Korea is not allowed; the helper must enter on a visa issued by a Korean mission or through a Visa Issuance Certificate.

This guide is for D-8 investors who want to keep employing, in Korea, a domestic helper who lived with them in their home country or a third country. First confirm that hiring someone new after arriving in Korea is not covered by this route.

Key Summary

• Who: a domestic helper whom the investor has employed abroad for at least 1 year as of the application date
• Codes: high-value investor F-1-22, high-tech investor F-1-23, professional F-1-24
• Consulate visa: the Korean mission in the helper's own country (the mission in the country of residence for long-term residents of a third country), a single-entry visa of 1 year or less at the mission head's discretion
• Visa Issuance Certificate: for cases outside the mission head's discretion, a single-entry visa of 90 days or less
• Employer documents: foreign investment report or investment company registration certificate, certificate of employment, proof of income requirement
• Investors below half a million US dollars: proof of Korean full-time employees added
• No change of status inside Korea
• Extension: up to 1 year within the employer's stay period, living at the same address, no work other than domestic help, 1 helper per inviter

1. Which domestic helpers qualify?

The target is a domestic helper whom an investor or professional has employed abroad for at least 1 year as of the application date. Someone newly hired just before moving to Korea does not meet this standard. That is why the document list includes proof that the helper has worked as the employer's domestic helper for 1 year or more (employment contract, pay slips, bank statements, etc.).

On the investor side, the codes are high-value investor F-1-22 and high-tech investor F-1-23. Which investment size and industry count as high-value or high-tech, and how high the employer's income requirement is, need to be checked case by case.

2. Where do you apply?

There are two routes.

For "highly skilled professionals" among professionals, matters requiring the Minister of Justice's approval are issued only after approval. Which route fits needs to be checked case by case.

3. What does the employer (investor) submit?

The documents for a consulate visa are:

• Foreign investment report (corporate register or copy of business registration) or a copy of the investment company registration certificate
  • A venture investor under Corporate Investment (D-8) may substitute a venture business confirmation or pre-venture business confirmation and proof of holding industrial property rights, etc.
• Employer's certificate of employment (ID)
• Proof of the employer's income requirement (withholding tax receipt for earned income, income amount certificate, pay slips, bank statements, etc.)
• Proof of Korean full-time employees currently employed (investors below half a million US dollars)
• Domestic helper employment contract
• Personal surety form
• Proof of the domestic helper's education, such as a graduation certificate
• Proof that the helper has worked as the employer's domestic helper for 1 year or more

The Visa Issuance Certificate route is nearly the same, with records proving the employer's annual income level and the additional document for investors below half a million US dollars (proof of Korean full-time employees). The head of the mission or the competent office may add or remove documents when needed for the review.

4. Is it impossible if the investment is below half a million US dollars?

The list requires investors below half a million US dollars to additionally submit "proof of Korean full-time employees currently employed". So being below that amount does not simply drop you from the list; you need extra records showing that you employ Korean nationals. Specific standards such as how many must be employed need to be checked case by case.

5. What conditions apply after arriving in Korea?

Foreign domestic helpers of investors and professionals cannot change status inside Korea, so a person already in Korea on another status cannot be switched to a domestic helper.

The standards for extending the stay after entry are:

• Up to 1 year granted within the employer's stay period
• The helper must live at the same address as the employer during the stay, and work other than domestic help is prohibited
• If the helper loses the status because the employment contract ends or the employer no longer meets the requirements, departure is the principle
• Each inviter may employ only 1 foreign domestic helper

The extension documents are the application form (Form No. 34), passport and alien registration card, fee, domestic helper employment contract, personal surety form, employer's certificate of employment (ID), foreign investment report or copy of the investment company registration certificate, and proof of place of stay. If the employer no longer meets the requirements, the helper loses the status and departure is the principle, so the employer's documents must be prepared again at every extension.

6. Common problems

• The period of employment abroad is under 1 year, or the work cannot be shown through pay records
• Trying to switch someone already in Korea into a domestic helper inside Korea
• Trying to invite more than one domestic helper
• The helper living somewhere other than the employer's address or doing other work
• An investor below half a million US dollars not preparing proof of Korean full-time employees

7. How A-One Certified Administrative Agent can help

We look at the history of employment abroad and the employer's investment and income records, review together which route fits, consulate visa or Visa Issuance Certificate, and organize the employment contract and proof of work. The missions and immigration offices decide the outcome, so we cannot promise results, and we do not represent clients in lawsuits or trials (outside the scope of an administrative agent).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hire a helper I found in Korea on this visa?

No. The target is a domestic helper whom the investor has employed abroad for at least 1 year as of the application date.

Where does the domestic helper get the visa?

At the Korean mission in the helper's own country; if the helper lives long term in a third country through permanent residency or employment, the mission in the country of residence is also possible.

How long a stay is granted?

The discretionary consulate visa is a single-entry visa with a stay of 1 year or less, and an extension in Korea is up to 1 year within the employer's stay period.

Can I bring two domestic helpers?

Each inviter may employ only 1 foreign domestic helper.

What happens when the employment contract ends?

If the helper loses the status because the contract ends or the employer no longer meets the requirements, departure is the principle.

Related Guides

• D-8 Corporate Investment Visa Guide
• D-8 visa document checklist
• Alien registration documents after entering on a D-8 visa

Consultation

에이원 행정사사무소 (A-One Certified Administrative Agent) is an administrative office that supports document preparation and filing with the authorities. Fees vary by case and are explained during a consultation. Phone 02-309-3107 · Contact: https://investkorea.co.kr/en/contact