D-8-4 (OASIS) South Korea — startup visa

D-8-4 doesn’t replace D-8-1 — it’s a different selection logic

Lower capital doesn’t mean easier — instead of money, technology, team, and market are scored competitively.

VISA

CAPITAL

MAIN SELECTION FILTER

D-8-4 (OASIS, this page)

CAPITALfrom $7,400

competitive points (80+), a patent or OASIS training

D-8-1 (general investor, a different programme)

CAPITALfrom $72,000 per applicant

capital in company charter equity

What the path to status consists of

Three sequential stages: an OASIS certificate, the D-10-2 visa for building the business, then D-8-4 itself.

STAGE

TIMELINE

WHAT’S REQUIRED

OASIS certificate

TIMELINE6–12 weeks

80+ points, a patent or training, a degree

D-10-2 visa (business building)

TIMELINE4–8 weeks approval + 2–6 months building

registering a new company

Transition to D-8-4

TIMELINE6–10 weeks processing

capital from KRW10M (≈$7,400)

How the process runs

Reaching at least 80 points plus a mandatory item

A patent or completing OASIS training through the Global Startup Immigration Center.

Receiving the OASIS certificate

Takes 6–12 weeks.

D-10-2 visa and registering a new company

4–8 weeks approval, 2–6 months building the business.

Confirming capital from KRW10M

For the transition to D-8-4 status.

Receiving D-8-4

Processing takes 6–10 weeks — total time from filing is ≈4–14 months.

A good fit if

You have a tech startup with a patent, or are ready to complete OASIS training for the mandatory point item.

You hold a Bachelor’s degree from any country (or an Associate’s degree from a Korean university).

Capital is limited — from $7,400 is significantly more accessible than the D-8-1 threshold of $72,000.

You’re prepared for competitive point-based selection (technology, market, team), not a simple monetary threshold.

A poor fit if

You have no patent and aren’t prepared to complete OASIS training — that’s a mandatory minimum selection item.

You score below 80 points across the criteria — the competitive threshold doesn’t lower with more capital.

You need certainty on D-8-4’s visa duration or the path to PR — sources don’t detail this, and we chose not to guess.

You’d rather have a simple monetary threshold without competitive selection — the site covers a separate D-8-1 programme (from $72,000 per applicant) for that.

Who runs this programme

Your request goes to two or three firms from this list. You see exactly which ones before it is sent, and you can exclude any of them.

No matching firms in the directory for this category yet — the list is curated by hand and grows over time.

This is an independent list of firms in the market, not our partners — we do not forward requests to them or receive payment for referrals. Contact them directly via the link.

Frequent questions

Why is D-8-4’s capital so much lower than D-8-1’s?

Per the available data, D-8-4 (OASIS) replaces large capital with a competitive points system — 80+ points with a mandatory patent or training, whereas D-8-1 (a separate programme on the site) is based specifically on capital from $72,000 per applicant.

What counts as the mandatory minimum item?

Per the available data, either a registered patent or completing OASIS training through the Global Startup Immigration Center; without one of these two, the points aren’t fully met.

How long does the whole path to D-8-4 status take?

Per the available data, roughly 4–14 months: 6–12 weeks for the OASIS certificate, 4–8 weeks for D-10-2 approval plus 2–6 months building the business, and a further 6–10 weeks processing D-8-4 itself.

How long is the D-8-4 visa valid?

The sources used for this page don’t detail this — we don’t state an unverified figure.

Does this visa lead to permanent residency?

Per the available data, the path to PR through this specific visa isn’t detailed in the sources available as of the checked date.

Is a degree required to apply?

Yes — per the available data, a Bachelor’s degree from any country or an Associate’s degree specifically from a Korean university is required.

Sources

Bestar Asia — overview of D-8-4 (OASIS) visa requirements: minimum capital, the points system, mandatory selection items, degree requirements↗

Figures are for reference only. Verified against official sources on 27 August 2026. A precise quote is issued by the appointed firm after document review. This material is not legal advice, a public offer or investment advice.