D-10 to D-8 Status Change: The Investment Trail…

Your job search turned into a company. Now your visa has to catch up.

You’re holding a D-10 job-seeker visa. Maybe you came to Korea to find work. Maybe you’ve been building a product under D-10-2, the technology startup preparation track. Either way, you’ve decided to run your own business. D-10 doesn’t cover that. For most foreign founders, the next status is the D-8 (Corporate Investment) visa.

You can usually switch without leaving Korea. The catch is proof. Officers want to see real money, a real office, and a plan that holds up. D-10 job seeker visa guide

Below are the eligibility rules, the investment proof, the document list, the realistic wait, and the reasons files get denied.

Why a D-10 holder can switch to D-8 without leaving Korea

Yes, a D-10 holder can apply for a change of status to D-8 inside Korea. The current stay must still be valid, and the company must meet D-8 rules. You file with the Korea Immigration Service through HiKorea or at your local immigration office. You need permission first. Running the business before approval counts as unauthorized activity.

The legal basis is Article 24 of the Immigration Act. You can read the English translation on MOLEG.

“A foreigner who sojourns in the Republic of Korea and intends to discontinue activities under his or her status of sojourn and engage in activities falling under any other status of sojourn shall obtain permission to change his or her status of sojourn from the Minister of Justice in advance.” (Immigration Act, Article 24(1), MOLEG English translation)

D-10 D-8 eligibility conditions

D-8 isn’t one visa. It has sub-types, and each one has its own test.

A few basic D-10 D-8 eligibility conditions apply to every sub-type:

• Your D-10 stay must still be valid on the day you file.
• You need a clean record: no overstays, unpaid immigration fines, or tax arrears.
• The company must exist, with a business registration number from the National Tax Service.
• You must be the actual investor and manager, not just a name on paper.

D-8-4: the route built for D-10-2 holders

The D-10-2 track exists largely to feed D-8-4. OASIS (Overall Assistance for Startup Immigration System) is a Ministry of Justice program. It awards points for things like registered IP, startup education, and competition awards. You need 80 points or more, plus a degree and a registered company.

D-8-4 doesn’t hinge on the KRW 100 million foreign investment rule. That’s why many founders without large capital aim for it. Check the current criteria on HiKorea before you commit money.

For D-8-1, the headline number sounds simple. It isn’t.

The KRW 100 million rule, and the part most people miss

Under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act, each D-8-1 investor generally needs at least KRW 100 million invested and 10% or more of voting shares. The investment must be reported as foreign direct investment. The money must arrive from abroad through a foreign exchange bank. Immigration checks the whole paper trail, not just the final balance.

That’s the D-10 D-8 investment proof requirement in short. Here’s how the trail is built, in order.

1. Report the investment. File a foreign investment report (oegugin tuja singo) at a foreign exchange bank or through Invest KOREA, run by KOTRA. Do this before the money moves.
2. Remit from overseas. Send the funds from an account abroad in your own name. Ask the Korean bank for remittance and currency exchange certificates.
3. Pay in the capital. The money goes into the company’s capital. The bank issues a certificate of paid-in capital.
4. Register the corporation. The company is registered at the court registry. You can print the corporate registry certificate from the Internet Registry Office.
5. Register as a foreign-invested company. This produces the foreign-invested company registration certificate. It’s the core document for D-8-1.
6. Get a business registration number. Apply through Hometax, run by the National Tax Service.

Here’s the catch. Reaching KRW 100 million on paper isn’t enough. Officers look at where the money came from and where it went.

These patterns cause trouble:

• Money borrowed in Korea, then sent out and “remitted” back in.
• Several small transfers from different people, with no link to the named investor.
• Capital wired in, then lent back to the founder a week later.

Each one breaks the trail. And the trail gets checked again at extension time. Your spending should match your business plan.

Speaking of the plan: it’s the document most applicants underestimate.

What your business plan and document stack must actually prove

Your file must prove three things: the company exists, the money is real, and the business can operate. That means registration certificates, investment proof, an office lease, and a business plan with concrete numbers. D-8-4 applicants also add a degree certificate and IP or OASIS proof. Missing or mismatched papers are the fastest route to a supplement request.

Core D-10 D-8 business plan documents

Most immigration offices ask for this baseline set. Your office may request more.

• Integrated Application Form (the standard change of status form)
• Passport and Alien Registration Card (ARC)
• One passport photo (3.5cm x 4.5cm)
• Change of status fee: KRW 100,000
• Foreign-invested company registration certificate (D-8-1)
• Corporate registry certificate (beobin deunggibu deungbon)
• Business registration certificate
• Proof of overseas remittance and paid-in capital
• Shareholder register
• Office lease contract in the company’s name
• Business plan

For D-8-4, add:

• Bachelor’s degree certificate or higher (apostilled or consular-confirmed if issued abroad)
• Patent, utility model, or design registration, or an OASIS certificate showing 80+ points

What a convincing business plan contains

A business plan isn’t a pitch deck. It’s evidence that the company will actually operate in Korea. Keep it specific:

• What you sell, and to whom
• Where revenue comes from in the first 12 months
• A budget showing how the invested capital will be spent
• Hiring plans, including any Korean staff
• Your daily role as manager

Vague lines like “we will expand across Asia” don’t help. Numbers do.

The office question

Can you use a shared or virtual office? This is where many files wobble. Officers may ask for workspace photos or visit the address. A mailbox-only virtual office often raises doubts. A real, separate workspace leased in the company’s name is the safe baseline. office lease for foreigners in Korea

So you’ve filed. Now comes the part nobody can speed up.

How long you’ll wait, and what happens meanwhile

The Korea Immigration Service doesn’t publish a fixed deadline for D-8 changes. Expect several weeks, and longer if officers request extra documents or inspect your office. The company setup before filing (investment report, registration, business number) adds its own time. File before your D-10 expires, and keep your application receipt safe.

D-10 D-8 processing time has two parts. There’s the setup you control, and the review you don’t.

Two rules keep you safe while you wait.

First, file before your D-10 expires. A timely application keeps you on record as a pending applicant. Carry the receipt. It shows you applied on time.

Second, don’t start working as a paid executive until approval. Your D-10 doesn’t allow it. An officer who spots early activity has a reason to refuse.

Is your D-10 about to run out? Check how much stay time you have left before you set up the company. D-10 visa extension limit

Waiting is stressful. A rejection is worse. Here’s what triggers one.

The step where most D-8 applications get rejected

Most D-10 D-8 application denial reasons trace back to the money trail or the office. Funds that can’t be traced from abroad, capital withdrawn after registration, a virtual office, and a vague plan are the usual triggers. Officers also have discretion. A clean record and consistent documents matter as much as the investment amount itself.

Here are the D-10 D-8 application denial reasons that come up most, grouped by where they start.

Money problems

• Investment below KRW 100 million, or under 10% of voting shares (D-8-1)
• Funds sent by someone other than the named investor
• Capital moved out of the company account soon after registration

Company problems

• Virtual office or home address with no real workspace
• A business plan with no revenue path or budget
• A business type that needs a separate license you don’t hold yet

Applicant problems

• A degree or IP that doesn’t match the startup’s field (D-8-4)
• An OASIS score below 80 (D-8-4)
• Past overstays, unpaid fines, tax arrears, or a criminal record
• Names, addresses, or amounts that don’t match across documents

That last one sounds minor. It isn’t. A company address that differs between the lease and the business registration can raise doubts about the whole office.

Denied? You’ll receive a notice. Ask the office which requirement failed. Fix that specific gap before refiling, and watch your remaining D-10 stay. For official guidance, contact the Korea Immigration Service or call the 1345 Immigration Contact Center, which offers multilingual support.

Now for the part you can plan down to the hour.

Your filing day, step by step

Book a visit reservation on HiKorea, or use e-application if your office accepts D-8 files online. Bring originals and copies of every document, plus the KRW 100,000 fee. Submit, answer questions about your business, and respond to any supplement request on time. Once approved, you’ll receive an updated ARC showing your new D-8 status.

1. Check the current D-8 checklist on HiKorea. Requirements change.
2. Book a visit at the immigration office that covers your registered address.
3. Fill in the Integrated Application Form.
4. Arrange documents in checklist order. Bring originals and copies.
5. Pay the fee by revenue stamp or e-payment.
6. Submit, and explain your business in plain terms if asked.
7. Watch for supplement requests by phone, text, or HiKorea. Respond by the stated deadline.
8. Collect your updated ARC after approval.

After approval

• Family: Your spouse and minor children can apply for F-3 (dependent family) status.
• Health insurance: If the company pays you a salary, it enrolls you in workplace coverage. Check the rules with NHIS.
• Extensions: Officers will review company operations, tax filings, and how the capital was used.

Start with the money trail. Everything else in a D-8 file rests on it. If the remittance, capital, and registration papers line up, the rest is paperwork. If they don’t, fix that first, while your D-10 clock is still running.