A year in South Korea
K-Startup Grand Challenge
Program checked 2026-10-21 · official source
Money
- Income the program asks for
- No fixed income minimum on record — read the program page for how means are tested.
- Your income against it
- Nothing to compare against.
- Cost of living
- Index ≈ 37 (New York = 100; lower is cheaper) — awaiting human review.
Estimate · Numbeo — Cost of Living Index by Country(opens in a new tab) · as of 2026-08-04
CasaSedora doesn't publish a monthly living-cost figure for any country yet — we won't invent one.
- Cash to make the move
- About $15,400 up front for one person.
Estimate · CasaSedora planning estimate — generic defaults, not a quote
Language
- Spoken there
- English, Korean.
- Required for residency & citizenship
- PR: KIIP Stage 5 Basic or PR evaluation ≥60 + civics (needs review) · Citizenship: Full KIIP Stage 5 + naturalisation evaluation + civics (needs review)
Secondary source (needs review)(opens in a new tab) · as of 2026-10-21
- Your readiness
- Starting from scratch is the usual case — sign in & set a goal in the Field Phrasebook to track your practice.
Timeline
Apply
Applications close 2026-06-17. Processing time is not on record — check the official source.
Program record (official source)(opens in a new tab) · as of 2026-10-21
Your first stay
The permit or program runs 9–11 months.
Program record (official source)(opens in a new tab) · as of 2026-10-21
Permanent residency · year 5
F-5 permanent residency generally after 5 years on qualifying long-stay visas.
Hi Korea (Ministry of Justice)(opens in a new tab) · as of 2026-07-12
Citizenship eligible · year 5
5 consecutive years of qualifying residence, plus adult status, means and conduct requirements.
Hi Korea (Ministry of Justice)(opens in a new tab) · as of 2026-07-12
Does time on this kind of permit count toward citizenship? Verify. The F-1-D workation visa is a visitor-class stay — confirm whether any of it counts before planning a naturalization clock.
Not on record yet
- No fixed income minimum on record for this program.