D-8-4 Startup Visa: How Foreign Founders Reach 80 OASIS…

Big idea. Small budget.

That’s where most foreign founders start. You have a degree, a product idea, maybe a patent draft. Then you read that a Korean investor visa needs KRW 100 million in foreign investment. Many graduates give up right there.

They don’t have to. The D-8-4 (technology startup) visa was built for this exact situation. D-10 job seeker visa guide

Maybe you’re finishing a D-2 degree. Maybe you’re job hunting on a D-10, or working on an E-7 with a side project. Each path ends at the same two gates: a points test called OASIS, and a real Korean company. This guide covers both, using information published by the Ministry of Justice and HiKorea.

Why does the D-8-4 skip the 100 million won rule?

The D-8-4 swaps cash for proof of technology. The regular D-8-1 investor visa requires at least KRW 100 million in foreign investment. The D-8-4 asks for something else: a bachelor’s degree (or an associate degree from a Korean school), a registered Korean corporation, and at least 80 points on the OASIS table. Patents, OASIS courses, and government startup awards earn those points.

How the minimum investment capital exemption works

Korea wants foreign founders with ideas, not only foreign money. So the Ministry of Justice created a separate track. The minimum investment capital exemption is the heart of it. You don’t have to prove KRW 100 million under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act.

That doesn’t mean you need zero money. You still set up a company. You’ll pay capital into its bank account. You’ll cover registration costs and an office. Officers also check that you can support yourself while the business grows.

D-8-1 vs D-8-4 at a glance

So the money barrier drops. A different barrier rises. It’s a number, and it’s 80.

Why is 80 OASIS points the wall most founders hit first?

OASIS (Overall Assistance for Startup Immigration System) is the Ministry of Justice points program for foreign founders. You need at least 80 points for a D-8-4. The table has two parts: mandatory items, where you must meet at least one, and optional items that add to your total. A registered patent covers a large share of the score. Courses alone rarely do.

Mandatory items: you need at least one

The MOJ points table groups these as proof that your startup rests on real technology or real backing:

• A registered patent
• A registered utility model or design
• A patent application filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO)
• Investment secured from a recognized investor
• Selection for a government startup support program

Without one of these, the optional points don’t matter. You can’t reach approval on courses and degrees only.

Optional items that top you up

These add points on top of your mandatory item:

• OASIS course completions (for example OASIS-1, OASIS-2, OASIS-4, OASIS-5)
• A master’s or doctoral degree
• Awards at recognized startup competitions or invention exhibitions

Here’s the catch. A pending patent application scores far less than a registered patent. KIPO examination takes time. So most founders file early, then fill the gap with OASIS courses while they wait.

Point values get revised. Before you count, check the current table on HiKorea or ask an OASIS center directly. Don’t plan around an old screenshot from a forum.

Courses fill the gap. But which ones should you take first, and does the order matter?

OASIS program application steps: which order saves you months?

OASIS is a series of numbered programs. Group classes on intellectual property and startup basics come first. Individual support comes later: patent filing help, mentoring, exhibitions, incubation, and help setting up a corporation. The Korea Invention Promotion Association (KIPA) runs OASIS with partner centers. Keep every completion certificate, because immigration officers want the paper, not your word.

What each program covers

Step by step

1. Check your current status. Attending a class isn’t employment, so D-2, D-10, and E-7 holders can usually join. Running a business is a different question (more on that below).
2. Book OASIS-1 and OASIS-4 first. These are group classes. The Seoul Global Center regularly opens OASIS-1 sessions, and regional global centers run their own.
3. Meet the attendance rule. Missing sessions can cost you the certificate. Get the completion paper on the last day.
4. Move to OASIS-2 and OASIS-5. Mentoring in OASIS-5 is also the best free help you’ll get on your business plan.
5. Use OASIS-3 to file with KIPO. Filing a patent or utility model application unlocks a mandatory item.
6. Add an exhibition or competition (OASIS-6). Awards add points and look strong in the plan.
7. Use OASIS-8 when you’re ready to incorporate. Don’t register the company too early, before your points are in sight.

Why does order matter? Because the group classes are booked in cohorts. Miss one cycle and you may wait weeks for the next. D-2 student visa requirements

If you’re already on a D-10, there’s a route that buys you time. Most people find it late.

Coming from a D-10, how does the conversion actually work?

Conversion from D-10 job seeker visa to D-8-4 is a change of status filed inside Korea. Many founders first move to D-10-2, the technology startup preparation subtype, which gives time to collect OASIS points and build the company. Once you hold 80 points and a registered corporation, you book a visit on HiKorea and file at your local immigration office.

D-10-1 vs D-10-2

The D-10 has two common subtypes. D-10-1 is general job seeking. D-10-2 is for people preparing a technology startup. If your real plan is a company, D-10-2 matches your activity better.

Why not just run the company on your current D-10? Korean law ties what you do to your status. The Immigration Act is direct about this:

“A foreigner who intends to be employed in the Republic of Korea shall obtain a status of sojourn which permits him/her to engage in employment activities.” (Immigration Act, Article 18(1), English translation via MOLEG)

Preparing is fine. Operating and earning before approval is where people get into trouble.

Step by step

1. Check your remaining stay. Look at the expiry date on your ARC (Alien Registration Card). Never let it lapse mid-process.
2. Gather your points evidence. Collect OASIS certificates, KIPO filing receipts, award letters, and degree certificates.
3. Register the corporation. Prepare articles of incorporation, deposit capital, and register through the Internet Registry Office or a court registry under the Commercial Act.
4. Register the business with the tax office. The National Tax Service issues your business registration certificate (saeopja deungnokjeung).
5. Book an appointment on HiKorea. Walk-ins are often turned away at busy offices.
6. File the change of status. Bring the application form (Form 34), passport, ARC, fee, corporate registration certificate, business registration certificate, OASIS points evidence, degree certificate, business plan, and office lease.
7. Wait for the decision. If approved, you’ll get an updated ARC showing D-8-4.

Here’s what actually happens at the counter. Officers often ask for extra documents. A supplement request isn’t a denial. Answer it fully and on time. D-10 to D-8 status change

Two side notes. D-2 graduates can also move to D-8-4 directly if the timing works. And the Ministry of Justice runs a separate Startup Korea Special Visa track for selected founders. Check the Korea Immigration Service for which track fits you.

The points get you to the counter. The business plan decides what happens next.

What business plan evaluation criteria do officers actually use?

The plan has no public scoring sheet. But the business plan evaluation criteria follow a clear logic. Officers check that your technology matches your IP or OASIS record, that the company can realistically earn money, and that funding covers the early months. They also check that you’ll run it from Korea. A vague plan invites a supplement request, or a denial.

Six things your plan must show

1. The technology link. Your product should connect to your patent, utility model, or OASIS work. A plan for a café doesn’t match a software patent.
2. A real market in Korea. Name your customers. Name your competitors. Show you know the local market.
3. A revenue model. How does money come in? Give simple projections for the first one to three years.
4. Funding for the early stage. Show capital paid in and how long it lasts. Officers worry about founders with no runway.
5. Your role. You’re the founder, so explain what you do daily. Show any team plans.
6. A physical base. Attach a lease for your office or incubator space. Plans that list only a home address draw more questions.

Mistakes that sink good ideas

• Copying a plan template with numbers that don’t add up
• Projecting huge revenue in year one with no customers yet
• Writing only in buzzwords, with no product description
• Submitting a plan in a language the office can’t review (Korean or English is safest)

OASIS-5 mentors review plans for free. Use them before you file.

Approval feels like the finish line. It isn’t.

Why do some approved founders lose the visa at extension?

A D-8-4 is granted for a set period, and each extension re-checks whether the business is real. Officers look for tax filings, revenue or investment progress, an active office, and proof that you personally run the company. A company that exists only on paper is the most common reason founders struggle when the first stay period ends.

Keep these records from day one

• Tax filings. File VAT and corporate tax returns through the National Tax Service on time, even with zero revenue.
• Bank records. Keep company and personal accounts separate.
• Health insurance. Stay enrolled with the National Health Insurance Service and keep premiums paid. Unpaid premiums can complicate extensions.
• Hiring records. If you hire, enroll staff in the four major insurances and follow Korean labor law.
• Change reports. Report changes to your address, company name, or office location as the Immigration Act requires.

Think of each extension as a progress check. Did the company do something since the last approval? Sales, a new contract, investment, a registered patent, new hires: each counts as evidence.

Long-term, some founders later aim for an F-2 or F-5. Those statuses have their own rules, and a well-documented D-8-4 history helps. F-2 visa points system

Your next move is simple. Check the current OASIS points table on HiKorea. Book the next OASIS-1 and OASIS-4 cohort. Then file your first KIPO application. Every week you wait is a week off your current stay.