Foreign nationals who plan to stay for a short period of time (up to 90 days) in the Republic of Korea for the purpose of working and/or being engaged in profit activities need to apply for C-4 visa.
Even though you do not get paid by the Korean company, if you still get paid by the US company for working in Korea such as equipment installation, maintenance, technical guidance, etc. then you have to obtain C-4 visa.
The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco serves Northern California, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Our office only accepts visa applications of the residents in our jurisdiction.
1. Required documents
① Visa application form (attached 1)
※ All visa applicants must use the Visa Application Form updated on Feb 7th, 2022(attached to this post). We will return the applications without processing them if the visa applicant uses the old visa application forms.
※ You must fill it out without leaving any section blank and put your name and signature on the last page.
▶ 1.1 Full name in English : Your name must be same on your passport.
▶ 1.7 National Identity No. : SSN
▶ 2.2 Status of Stay : Visa type (C-4-5)
▶ 4.5 Emergency Contact Information : a person in the U.S.
▶ 9 Details of Invitation : please fill it out with the information of the company in Korea where you will work.
▶ 10.1 Estimated travel costs(in US dollars) : Amount that you plan to spend during your stay in Korea (If you are applying for a long-term visa, the total amount that you will spend for the first 3 months)
▶ 10.2 c) Type of Support : List or explain the things that you will spend the amount that you state in section 10.1 (e.g. living expenses, round-trip flight, travel expenses, etc.)
② 1 photo taken within 6 months (35mm x 45mm or 2inch x 2inch)
③ Original (physical, actual) passport and 1 copy of the passport (The passport must have more than 6 months of validity)
※ Passport copy : Photocopy the page that has your photo and personal information. You do not need to get notarization for copies of your passport and green card(U.S. visa).
④ 1 copy of U.S. green card or long-term visa
※ A valid I-797 copy can be acceptable as a U.S. long-term visa.
⑤ Visa processing by money order or cash only (Pay to : Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in SF)
* The fee for American passport holders is $45. The fee for C-4-5 visa is $40 for most countries. For details of the visa processing fee by country, please click here .
⑥ Original invitation letter by the Korean company
※ The invitation letter must contain the period of visit, the purpose of visit, detailed daily activity plan during the visit, the expenses that will incur during the visit and who is responsible for them, etc. The invitation letter must be as detailed as possible. If the invitation letter does not have enough information, our office cannot process your visa and will return your passport without notice.
⑦ 1 copy of Business Registration Certificate or a certified copy of Corporate Register of the Korean company (Must be issued within 3 months of your visa application.)
⑧ Activity plan (no designated form) : The visa applicant must submit an activity plan for their stay in Korea specifying daily activity plans.
⑨ Employment contract and/or Dispatch order by the U.S. company
※ This should specify the amount of salary that you will get paid for the work in Korea, scope of work in Korea, the details about the relationship between the U.S. company and the Korean company, and all the other details that can be helpful for the visa issuance. As detailed as possible is the best.
⑩ Purchase agreement or Service agreement or Maintenance agreement
⑪ (If you are applying for C-4 to teach in a college/university) A copy of your highest degree diploma
⑫ Self-addressed r eturn envelope with a prepaid-label or stamp which has tracking (In case you want to get your passport and visa back by mail)
※ Beginning December 1st, 2022, the Korean Consulate in San Francisco will only accept packages from USPS. This applies to not only visa submissions but also for a self-addressed return envelope (No other couriers such as FedEx, UPS, etc.)
※ Please note that there can be additional documents required by the Consulate after the Consulate reviews your visa application documents.
※ Please note that our office cannot process your visa and will return your passport and documents without notifying you if there are missing documents and/or missing information in your documents. This can also happen if you applied in-person after making an appointment to drop off your documents. Please check thoroughly before submitting.
2. How to submit the visa application
- By mail (mail all the required documents, with Tracking, in envelope to 3500 Clay St., San Francisco, CA 94118)
※ The Consulate is not responsible for a lost or damaged mail.
※ Beginning December 1st, 2022, the Korean Consulate in San Francisco will only accept packages from USPS. This applies to not only visa submissions but also for a self-addressed return envelope (No other couriers such as FedEx, UPS, etc.) We will return the application without processing it if it sent by any other courier. There will be a grace period (acceptance of FedEx, UPS, etc.) until December 31, 2022.
※ We recommend all the visa applicants to use tracking for postage/prepaid-labels such as USPS priority, USPS priority express as the package will contain your important documents such as your original passport.
- In-person (You must make an appointment on the online portal prior to your visit. Please click here for how to make an appointment.)
※ If it is hard to get an appointment, it is faster to mail your visa application documents instead of waiting for an available appointment.
※ Submitting your visa application by a third party or your company is not allowed.
※ Do not submit an application if your planned arrival in Korea is more than 3 months away.
3. Processing time
- Approximately 2 weeks from the submission date
