Can an F-6 marriage immigrant invite their parents from their home country to Korea?

Yes, family members of a marriage immigrant (F-6), such as parents, can come to Korea with a Visiting and Residing (F-1-5) visa. But it is not open to everyone. The invitation is reviewed based on its purpose and the circumstances.

Good to know

• Family members of a marriage immigrant (F-6), such as parents, fall under F-1-5 status.
• Typical reasons are help with child care or humanitarian circumstances (for example, a marriage immigrant family with a serious illness or severe disability).
• If a person enters for humanitarian reasons, the stay can usually be extended by up to 1 year at a time, within 3 years from the entry date, for as long as the circumstances continue.
• For single-parent families or families with many children, the stay can be extended by up to 1 year at a time, within 3 years from the entry date, until the end of March of the year the child turns 13 (Korean age system: 만 13세).
• If the child is of school age and the inviting person does not meet the duty to send the child to school, extension is limited.

Documents usually prepared

These are the documents for an invitation based on a serious illness or disability.

• Basic documents (integrated application form, passport, proof of residence, photo, fee)
• The inviting person's basic certificate (기본증명서), family relation certificate (가족관계증명서), marriage relation certificate (혼인관계증명서), and resident registration copy (주민등록등본)
• Family relation certificate in the child's name. If the mother is pregnant, a pregnancy diagnosis or a maternity handbook
• Documents proving the serious illness or disability, such as a medical receipt showing the special calculation exemption (산정특례) or a disability certificate

⚠️ Points to be careful about

• The requirements and documents differ by invitation reason (child care help, humanitarian circumstances, etc.). The immigration office in charge may add or remove documents during review.
• Visa issuance is not guaranteed.

The right method may differ depending on your parents' situation (age, reason for invitation). Check the exact requirements at HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or the Immigration Contact Center (외국인종합안내센터) at 1345.