44,340 ethnic Koreans holding Visit and Employment (H-2) status approved to switch to F-4; July H-2 population: 31,186

After the integrated compatriot stay-status system took effect, 44,340 people were counted as having been approved to change from Visit and Employment (H-2) to Overseas Korean (F-4) status. This exceeds 54% of the 81,447 H-2 residents at the time the integration took effect.

The Ministry of Justice said on August 11 that 48,905 H-2 residents applied to change to F-4 from February 12 through July 31, and 44,340 were approved.

H-2 share falls from 12.8% to 5.1%

Monthly statistics released by the Ministry of Justice show that H-2 residents fell from 81,770 people in January to 31,186 people in July. Over the same period, Overseas Korean (F-4) residents rose from 556,045 people to 607,249 people.

The H-2 population on the integration's effective date was 81,447 people, which differs from the statistics at the end of January. The 54% cited by the Ministry of Justice compares that effective-date population with the 44,340 people approved to change to F-4 by the end of July. The entire decline in H-2 holders from January to July cannot be interpreted as the number approved for a status change.

The next step: settlement and social integration policy

On the same day, the Ministry of Justice convened a working-level subcommittee with 8 relevant ministries to discuss each ministry's compatriot-policy goals, financial support, and improvements to settlement conditions. It plans to prepare the Basic Direction and Action Tasks for Compatriot Policy on that basis.

This statistical release does not provide the eligibility requirements, documents, or processing periods for an individual to change from H-2 to F-4. People preparing a change should separately check the latest stay-status guidance suited to their nationality and residence history, as well as the filing standards of the immigration office with jurisdiction.