F-2-7 Points Table: How KIIP Counts Toward 80 Points
The F-2-7 points-based residency table: the 80-point pass mark, KIIP points (up to 20 for basic knowledge plus 10 bonus), and extension and F-5 rules.
The Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP, 사회통합프로그램) earns you points for the points-based residency status (F-2-7). But articles online give KIIP as 10, 20 or 28 points. This article explains how F-2-7 points work and where KIIP fits in, based on the points table in the Ministry of Justice "Foreigner Stay Guide Manual" (외국인체류 안내매뉴얼, January 2026).
What is F-2-7?
F-2-7 is the "points-based talent" (점수제 우수인재) residency status: it gives a residency (F-2) status by scoring your age, education, Korean ability and income. You need 80 points or more when the item scores are added up, and the table recognizes up to 170 points.
Points alone are not enough. Only certain groups can apply, and each group has its own conditions.
- Employees of listed companies: people working at, or hired by, a company listed on KOSPI or KOSDAQ, in a manager or professional occupation
- Workers in promising industries: people working, or hired, in a high-tech field such as IT, biotech or new materials, whose previous-year income is at least 1.5 times gross national income (GNI) per person (for people about to start work, the contract salary counts)
- Professionals: people who have stayed for 3 or more consecutive years in a status from professor (E-1) to professional (E-7-1), or from journalism (D-5) to trade management (D-9) (E-6-2 and E-7-2 to E-7-4 excluded). The 3-year condition is waived in some cases, such as an annual income of 40 million won or more.
- Graduates of Korean universities: people who earned a master's degree or higher in a regular degree program in Korea and, within 5 years, work or are hired in an occupation that matches one of the professional statuses above, among others
- Potential talent: master's or doctoral graduates of a designated science and engineering university or research institute who are about to graduate or graduated less than 1 year ago and are recommended by its president. They can change to F-2-7S without meeting the points requirement.
A criminal penalty or immigration law violation within a set period before the application date can disqualify you or cost you points.
The points table at a glance
The table has common items worth 130 points and bonus points worth up to 40, and it deducts points for legal violations.
| Item | Maximum points |
|---|---|
| Age | 25 |
| Education | 25 |
| Basic knowledge (Korean ability) | 20 |
| Annual income | 60 |
| Bonus points | Up to 40 recognized |
| Deductions | Subtracted for immigration law violations or criminal penalties |
Age is counted from the date of birth in your passport, as of the application date.
| Age | Points |
|---|---|
| 18-24 | 23 |
| 25-29 | 25 |
| 30-34 | 23 |
| 35-39 | 20 |
| 40-44 | 12 |
| 45-50 | 8 |
| 51 or older | 3 |
Education counts by degree certificate, and completing coursework without a degree does not count. For a doctorate, master's or bachelor's degree, holding two or more degrees of the same level earns the science and engineering score in any field.
| Degree | Science and engineering | Other fields |
|---|---|---|
| Doctorate | 25 | 20 |
| Master's | 20 | 17 |
| Bachelor's | 17 | 15 |
| Associate | 15 | 10 |
Annual income is the latest year on the income certificate (소득금액증명) issued by the tax office. If you submit no proof, are not working or earn below the minimum wage, you get 0.
| Annual income | Points |
|---|---|
| 100 million won or more | 60 |
| 90 million to under 100 million won | 58 |
| 80 million to under 90 million won | 56 |
| 70 million to under 80 million won | 53 |
| 60 million to under 70 million won | 50 |
| 50 million to under 60 million won | 45 |
| 40 million to under 50 million won | 40 |
| 30 million to under 40 million won | 30 |
| Minimum wage to under 30 million won | 10 |
Bonus points are 20 for talent from a Korean War participant country, 20 for a recommendation by a central government agency, 10 for completing KIIP Level 5, 5 to 30 for a degree from a top-ranked or Korean university, and 1 to 7 for volunteer work in Korea. Only the highest degree bonus counts. All bonus points together are capped at 40.
Points you earn through KIIP
KIIP counts in two places on the table: the common item "basic knowledge" and the bonus points.
| KIIP level completed | TOPIK | Basic knowledge points |
|---|---|---|
| Level 5 | Level 5 or higher | 20 |
| Level 4 | Level 4 | 15 |
| Level 3 | Level 3 | 10 |
| Level 2 | Level 2 | 5 |
| Level 1 | Level 1 | 3 |
- In basic knowledge, TOPIK and KIIP share one cell. The manual's standard is "the KIIP level completed (Social Integration Information Network)." The item is capped at 20, so holding both TOPIK and KIIP does not take it above 20.
- The 10 bonus points go to "those who have completed the Level 5 basic course or above." Finishing the Level 5 basic course (수료) and passing the permanent-residency comprehensive evaluation completes the permanent residency course. Finishing the whole Level 5 course and passing the naturalization comprehensive evaluation completes the naturalization course. Only attending the classes (수료) is not completing (이수).
- The table adds up the item scores, and the two scores sit in different items. So completing Level 5 gives you 20 basic knowledge points and the 10 bonus points, up to 30 points from KIIP. But bonus points are capped at 40, so if your other bonus points are above 30, the KIIP bonus adds only what is left up to 40.
- There is a special rule for people changing to F-2-7 from the negative-list professional status (E-7-S) who have stayed at least 1 year and are working normally now. If you meet the E-7-S2 points requirement (60 or more), or the income requirement for E-7-S1, and have completed or been placed in KIIP Level 3 or higher, the F-2-7 points requirement is waived. Other requirements, such as good conduct, still apply.
Some things we could not find in the manual.
- Whether pre-evaluation scores earn basic knowledge points. The F-2-7 table only names "the level completed." Some tables, such as the job-seeker (D-10) table, list pre-evaluation scores separately, but the F-2-7 table has no such line.
- How you prove KIIP. The manual refers "documents proving each item's score" to an attachment that is not in the public copy. It is safer to print your completion certificate or education confirmation from the Social Integration Information Network before you apply.
- Whether someone who passed the permanent-residency comprehensive evaluation through a pre-evaluation score of 85 gets the bonus. That person is not recognized as a permanent residency course completer until they finish attending (수료) the Level 5 basic course, so read literally, they do not qualify for the bonus. We could not find guidance that deals with this case directly.
In these cases, check with the Immigration Contact Center (1345) or your local immigration office.
Working through the points
Here is how much KIIP helps you get over the 80-point line, worked out from the table. This counts points only; you still need to belong to one of the groups that can apply.
| Item | No KIIP | Level 4 completed | Level 5 completed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (29) | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Education (bachelor's, science and engineering) | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Annual income (30 million won range) | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Basic knowledge | 0 | 15 | 20 |
| Bonus | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Total | 72 | 87 | 102 |
Without KIIP, 72 points falls short of 80. Completing Level 4 gives 87, and completing Level 5 gives 102. TOPIK Level 4 would give the same 15 basic knowledge points. You can also reach 80 without KIIP through other items. For example, age 30-34 (23), a master's in science and engineering (20) and an annual income in the 50 million won range (45) add up to 88.
Keep preparing in the app
Extensions and permanent residency (F-5-16)
When you extend F-2-7, a higher score gives a longer stay. If your total is 80 or more, the office sets the period by whichever is better for you: your total score or your annual income score.
| Total score | Period of stay |
|---|---|
| 130 or more | 5 years |
| 120-129 | 3 years |
| 110-119 | 2 years |
| 80-109 | 1 year |
An annual income score of 50 or more can give 5 years, 45 or more 3 years, and 40 or more 2 years. Even with a total below 80, if you are working now and earn at least the minimum wage, you get a 1-year extension as a grace period.
After staying on F-2-7 continuously for 3 or more years, you can apply for points-based permanent residency (F-5-16). The conditions include an income of at least twice the previous year's GNI per person, or assets of at least 1.5 times the previous year's average net assets. For people who changed from E-7-S2 to F-2-7, the income condition is lowered to 1 times GNI. F-5-16 also checks the permanent-residency basic knowledge requirement separately. You must complete KIIP Level 5 or score 60 or more on the permanent-residency or naturalization comprehensive evaluation, with exemptions such as a regular doctorate from a Korean graduate school. The Level 4 you used for F-2-7 points does not meet it.
Why articles give different numbers
There are a few reasons the numbers differ from article to article.
- Only one of the two places is mentioned: KIIP earns points in two places, basic knowledge (up to 20) and bonus points (10). Mention only one and you get "20 points" or "10 points."
- Other visas' points tables: KIIP levels appear in the points tables of several visas. The job-seeker (D-10) table gives the same points as F-2-7 for Levels 2 to 5, but also accepts pre-evaluation, mid-level evaluation and comprehensive evaluation scores. The negative-list professional (E-7-S) table also gives the same points for Levels 2 to 5. The skilled worker (E-7-4) table counts completing Level 4 or above as 120 out of 300.
- Old tables: the 2011 Ministry of Justice notice had a 120-point table with the same 80-point pass mark, graded Korean ability by communication level, and gave 10 bonus points for completing KIIP.
The "KIIP up to 28 points" table in some articles does not match the F-2-7 table in the January 2026 manual, and we could not find which official source it came from.
Summary
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Pass mark | 80 or more when item scores are added (up to 170 recognized) |
| Common items | Age 25 · education 25 · basic knowledge 20 · annual income 60 |
| KIIP basic knowledge | Level 1: 3 · Level 2: 5 · Level 3: 10 · Level 4: 15 · Level 5: 20 (same cell as TOPIK, max 20) |
| KIIP bonus | 10 for completing the Level 5 basic course or above (bonus total max 40) |
| KIIP maximum | 30 (basic knowledge 20 + bonus 10) |
| Permanent residency (F-5-16) | 3+ years on F-2-7 + income or asset condition + KIIP Level 5 or 60+ on the comprehensive evaluation |
To learn where to get the completion certificate and where to submit it, see KIIP Certificate. For what completing KIIP changes for permanent residency and naturalization, see KIIP Benefits and Costs. To sign up for a course, see KIIP Registration.
Raising your basic knowledge points means passing the evaluation at each level. If you want to learn the vocabulary that appears on the evaluations in advance, try the KIIP Study app.
Sources we checked
- Ministry of Justice "Foreigner Stay Guide Manual" (외국인체류 안내매뉴얼, January 2026): F-2-7 eligible groups and points table (manual pages 362-367), extension periods (page 405), special rule for changing from E-7-S to F-2-7 (page 290), Korean ability in the E-7-S and E-7-4 tables (pages 292 and 304), points-based permanent residency F-5-16 conditions and basic knowledge (pages 431-432 and 460)
- Ministry of Justice "Visa Issuance Guide Manual" (사증발급 안내매뉴얼, January 2026): KIIP points in the job-seeker (D-10) table (page 134)
- Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act (Presidential Decree No. 36728, effective Oct. 2, 2026): Annex 1-2, 24. Residency (F-2), item ja (자목)
- Comprehensive evaluation guide (Korea Immigration Foundation): standards for completing the permanent residency and naturalization courses
- KIIP participant tuition notice (Ministry of Justice Notice No. 2024-434): Level 5 basic course (permanent residency) and advanced course (naturalization)
- Visa Navigator (Ministry of Justice, December 2022): points by KIIP level and the Level 5 bonus
- Ministry of Justice Notice No. 11-384 (effective Sept. 1, 2011): the old points evaluation standard (out of 120)
This article is a guide meant to aid understanding and is not official information. It does not determine whether any individual application is possible or what its outcome will be, and KIIP Study is a learning and test-prep app, not a visa application agency. The points table and requirements may change and their application may differ depending on your personal circumstances, so to find out how they apply to you, check with the Immigration Contact Center (1345) or your local immigration office. (Written November 2026)