ASKOVISA is a free AI chatbot service created by the Advocates for Public Interest Law (APIL) to help migrants and refugees who live in Korea or plan to come to Korea easily find information about visas, residence status, and financial services. No account registration or personal information is required, and the app was officially launched on the App Store and Google Play in December 2024.

Why ASKOVISA Was Created

Navigating visa and residence status issues on your own in Korea is genuinely difficult. Most of the information published by the Korea Immigration Service (HiKorea) consists of complex manuals written in Korean, and visiting an office in person takes both time and courage. In practice, it can be hard to know which visa to apply for, which documents are needed, or even who to contact.

APIL built ASKOVISA with the hope of reducing the moments when migrants and refugees hit a wall because they ask a question and cannot get an answer — lowering the barriers to accessing information.

Step-by-Step Overview

  1. 1. Install the app or visit the website

    Download ASKOVISA from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android), or open it directly in a web browser.

  2. 2. Choose your language

    Select whichever of the 9 available languages you are most comfortable with. No account registration is needed.

  3. 3. Type your question

    Ask freely about anything you want to know -- visa applications, extending your stay, foreigner registration, opening a bank account, and more.

  4. 4. Read the answer with its official source

    The chatbot provides an answer and tells you exactly which page of the relevant government manual it is based on.

  5. 5. Verify details and seek expert advice

    Before making any important decision, confirm the latest information by calling 1345 (Immigration Contact Center) or contacting your local Korea Immigration Service office, or consult a specialist.

Key Features

Multilingual Support

You can ask questions and receive answers in 9 languages: Korean, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Uzbek, Russian, Arabic, and French. Ask in whichever language feels most natural to you.

Visa and Residence Guidance

  • How to apply for a visa
  • How to extend your period of stay
  • How to change your residence status
  • How to complete foreigner registration

The chatbot guides you through each step in order, based on official government manuals. For procedures that are easy to overlook — such as reporting a change of address or reporting a change in passport information — you may also find these articles helpful: How to Report a Change of Address on HiKorea Online and How to Report a Change of Passport Information.

Financial Information

ASKOVISA also explains how to open a bank account in Korea, how to use financial services, and how to manage your money. There have been cases where people of certain nationalities — including Iranian nationals — were unfairly refused when trying to open an account. You can read more about this in the article Iranian Nationals’ Account Opening Refusal Recognized as Discrimination (NHRCK 2024).

Anonymous and Secure Use

You do not need to enter any personal information such as your name or phone number. Feel free to ask questions without worry.

Fact-Based Answers

Every answer ASKOVISA gives is grounded in the official stay and visa manuals published by the Korea Immigration Service (HiKorea), as well as refugee processing guidelines that were made public through court proceedings. When the chatbot answers, it shows you which manual and which page number it referenced, so you can check the source yourself. This is quite different from the inaccurate information that often circulates online.

Community Feature

You can share experiences or post questions for other users. Posts can be made anonymously and are translated automatically.

Regular Updates

The immigration-related official manuals are refreshed every two months to keep the information current.

How to Use ASKOVISA

ASKOVISA is available on both mobile apps and web browsers.

No registration is needed — just open the app and start asking questions right away.

Things to Keep in Mind

ASKOVISA is not a service that provides perfect answers for every situation. The documents and procedures you need may differ depending on your personal circumstances, and government requirements can change. For specific figures, deadlines, or other details, please make sure to verify the latest information before applying by calling 1345 (Immigration Contact Center), using the online civil service portal at HiKorea, or contacting your local Korea Immigration Service office.

For more complex situations or if you need legal help, we strongly recommend consulting an organization that specializes in supporting migrants and refugees, or speaking with a lawyer. If you are an asylum seeker, there are important obligations and potential fines you need to be aware of regarding your stay — please also read the article Asylum Seekers’ Stay Obligations and Fines: Extending Your Stay, Reporting Changes of Address and Passport Information.

Who Made ASKOVISA

Advocates for Public Interest Law (APIL) is a nonprofit public interest legal organization that provides legal support for the human rights of vulnerable foreign nationals, including migrants and refugees. ASKOVISA was developed in connection with a corporate social responsibility initiative by Hyundai Marine and Fire Insurance.