This policy grants legal residence status to undocumented migrant children who were born in Korea or entered the country at a young age and have lived here for a long time. The program has been running on a temporary basis since April 2021. On 20 March 2025, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) announced that it will be extended for three more years, until 31 March 2028. The updated policy also opens new paths to employment and long-term settlement that do not require going to university.

Step-by-Step Overview

  1. 1. Check your eligibility

    Confirm whether you meet the requirements: age at entry (under 6 / 6 or older), length of stay in Korea (6 or 7 years), school enrollment or graduation status, and current age (child or youth).

  2. 2. Download the forms

    Get the integrated application form, the detailed personal statement, and the guidance leaflets (versions for the child and for the parent) from the Korea Immigration Service (KIS) website (immigration.go.kr) or HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr).

  3. 3. Ask questions before you visit

    Contact the Immigration Contact Center (1345) or the KIS office that covers your place of residence to find out what additional documents you may need and to confirm the current requirements.

  4. 4. Prepare and submit your documents

    Gather everything you need, then visit the residence application counter at the KIS office responsible for your area and submit your documents in person.

  5. 5. Receive your status and choose your next path

    Depending on your situation you may receive G-1 (temporary stay), D-10 (job-seeking / training), or E-7-Y (employment) status. After that, if you live for four years in a population-decline region, you can apply for F-2-R (long-term settlement) status.

Why Is This Policy Needed?

At least 20,000 undocumented migrant children are currently living in Korea without official documents. Because they are recognised neither as Korean nationals nor as registered foreign residents, they face serious difficulties with everyday things like accessing healthcare, obtaining insurance, and proving their identity.

Young people attending high school without a residence status face the possibility of forced deportation after graduation. Some could be sent to a country they have never actually lived in. Others may have to give up their plans for university or work. In some cases, families are separated.

This policy is the government’s measure to address at least part of that reality.

Background to the Extension

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has been running this temporary relief measure since 19 April 2021. Over those four years, however, only about 1,000 children actually received status — less than 10% of the estimated total number of eligible children. Strict eligibility requirements and short, complicated application windows were among the main barriers.

As the 31 March 2025 end date approached, civil society ran the “LET US DREAM: Migrant Children Growing Up Right Here” campaign, and the three-year extension followed. The MOJ officially published its plan — “Extension of the Right to Education for Foreign Youth Raised in Korea, and Pathways to Employment and Settlement” — on 20 March 2025.

What Changed in 2025

1. Underage Siblings Can Now Apply Too

Minor siblings of an eligible child may also receive temporary residence status (G-1).

2. Stronger Requirements for Parents

Only parents who are directly caring for and raising their child in Korea can apply. Parents must participate in relevant programs such as the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP).

Parents who are not actually raising the child inside Korea are excluded from applying.

3. Employment Is Now Possible Without Going to University

Previously, continuing to stay legally generally required enrolling in university. Now, eligible young people can apply for an employment visa (E-7-Y) and enter the workforce according to their own circumstances.

4. Change to F-1 (Visit and Cohabitation) Status in Humanitarian Cases

Where there are special humanitarian circumstances, a person may apply to change to an F-1 (visit and cohabitation) visa.

Who Can Apply

Children (Currently Enrolled in, or Graduated from, Elementary, Middle, or High School)

The application window is open until 31 March 2028.

Age at EntryLength of Stay in KoreaSchool Requirement
Born in Korea, or entered before age 66 years or more in KoreaEnrolled in or graduated from elementary, middle, or high school in Korea as of the application date
Entered at age 6 or older7 years or more in KoreaEnrolled in or graduated from elementary, middle, or high school in Korea as of the application date

Youth (Adults in Their Early Twenties Who Have Graduated from High School)

The application window is open until 31 March 2028.

  • Aged 18 to 24 (inclusive) as of the application date

  • Lived in Korea for 7 years or more before turning 18

  • Graduated from elementary, middle, and high school in Korea

    — Eligible for D-10 (job-seeking / training) or E-7-Y (employment) status

  • Did not complete elementary, middle, and high school in Korea

    — Eligible for the same benefits after completing Level 5 of the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP)

Extra Benefit for People Living in Population-Decline Regions

If you hold D-10 or E-7-Y status and live in a population-decline (or “special attention”) region for four or more years, you can apply for the regional-specialized visa (F-2-R), which is significantly more favourable for long-term settlement.

How to Apply

  1. Download the integrated application form, the detailed personal statement, and the guidance leaflets (for the child and for the parent) from one of these official websites:

  2. Prepare your documents, then visit the residence application counter at the KIS office responsible for your place of residence and submit everything in person.

Important: Additional documents may be required depending on your individual situation. Before you visit, please contact the Immigration Contact Center (1345) or your local KIS office to confirm the current document list and requirements.

The Detailed Personal Statement and Required Documents

The child’s detailed personal statement, submitted together with the integrated application form, is a core document covering the child’s personal information, education history, family details, and contact information. If there are multiple children, prepare a separate set of documents for each child.

What Goes in the Detailed Personal Statement

  1. Child’s personal details — name, date of birth, nationality, gender. If the name or date of birth differs across the passport, birth certificate, and school records, include supporting evidence of the same identity (school photos, family photos, etc.).
  2. Born in Korea or arrived later — if born in Korea, the place of birth and current address; if entered later, the date of first entry. Also state the total length of stay in Korea and any periods of 91 days or more spent abroad.
  3. Education history — the name, enrollment and graduation dates, location, and graduation status of each elementary, middle, and high school attended, listed in order of enrollment. If you passed the GED-equivalent exam (검정고시), write “검정고시 (year of exam)” in the school name field.
  1. Family details — for parents and siblings: full name as shown in the passport, date of birth, passport number, gender, most recent entry date, current residence status.
  2. Contact details and accompanying person — mobile phone number and email address for both the child and the parents. If the child is accompanied by someone other than a parent (a practical guardian), also include that person’s name, date of birth, address, and phone number.

Required Documents

CategoryDocuments
Application formsIntegrated application form + detailed personal statement
PassportsCopies of the child’s and parents’ passports (bring originals)
Birth and family relationshipBirth certificate, official documents issued by the home country government (including the embassy), documents proving the parent-child relationship
Evidence of stay in KoreaEnrollment records from childcare facilities, kindergarten, or schools; family photos from infancy onward; etc.
Highest level of educationGraduation certificate or enrollment certificate (for GED equivalency holders, the pass certificate)
Place of residenceLease agreement or other document proving current address

Depending on your situation, you may also need to provide evidence supporting a child-only application (proof of parent’s departure or death), documents proving the child and applicant are the same person, or a statement explaining the guardian’s care arrangement. During the review process, the immigration office may request additional documents such as a DNA paternity/maternity test result.

Residence Status (G-1) for Parents

Parents of children who have grown up in Korea for a long time may also receive temporary residence status (G-1) so that they can remain with their child. The type available depends on whether the child is still in school and the child’s age.

TypeChild’s SituationChild’s AgeParent’s Status
Type 3Currently enrolled in schoolMinorG-1 granted
Type 4Currently enrolled in schoolAdult (19 or older)G-1 granted
Type 5Graduated from high school, currently without statusMinorG-1 granted
Type 6Graduated from high school, currently without statusAdult (19 or older)No residence status; departure deadline extended
  • Types 3, 4, and 5: G-1 (temporary stay) is granted, normally for one year at a time. Each time renewal is requested, the immigration office will review whether the conditions are still being met.
  • Type 6: No separate residence status is issued. The parent receives only an extension of the departure deadline and is not permitted to work.

Employment

Receiving G-1 status does not automatically allow you to work. You must apply separately for permission to engage in activities outside your residence status (체류자격 외 활동허가). Types 3 and 5 may work in economic activities related to childcare purposes; Type 4 may engage in general economic activity; Type 6 is entirely prohibited from working. Working without the required permission is treated as illegal employment and is subject to penalties.

Voluntary Departure and Re-entry

If you have any period of unlawful stay, you must pay the applicable fine before applying. If you depart voluntarily (자진출국) within the departure deadline stated in the guidance leaflet, you are guaranteed the opportunity to re-enter on a short-term visit (C-3) status. If you miss the deadline, you may face an additional fine, forced deportation, or an entry ban, and re-entry is not guaranteed. Please confirm your deadline carefully.

Limitations of This Policy and What Still Needs to Happen

The three-year extension is welcome news, but this policy remains temporary. When the period ends, the same problems will recur, and many children may once again face the risk of forced deportation at any time. The fact that more than 90% of all eligible children have still not benefited from the policy is a significant challenge.

Internationally and among experts, there is a growing call for a permanent, ongoing system — one that goes beyond a temporary relief measure and ensures that undocumented migrant children can reliably access basic rights at least until they reach adulthood.

Looking at other countries: in France, children under 18 may stay without conditions. In Japan, foreign nationals who were born there or entered at a young age and completed compulsory and secondary education can obtain a “special permission to stay” (재류특별허가), with a path to change to permanent settlement status afterward. The argument that Korea should take similar approaches and move toward more stable protection for more migrant children is growing louder.