If you hold F-6-1 status and are separated from your spouse, are in a divorce suit (including preparing one or in a subsequent appeal), or your spouse is missing but not yet declared missing by the family court, you fall within those eligible for an extension of stay. You submit the usual extension documents plus proof of the separation, suit or disappearance, and a weekend-couple arrangement is not treated as separation.
Key Summary
- Eligible: separated / divorce suit ongoing, being prepared or in a subsequent appeal / spouse missing (before the court declaration)
- Separation means keeping the formal marriage but not living together for a long period; weekend couples do not qualify
- Common documents: application, passport and alien registration card, fee, detailed marriage certificate and resident registration certificate, foreigner occupation report, proof of residence
- Proof by ground: runaway report, medical certificate, shelter admission confirmation, etc. / suit filing certificate, etc. / missing-person declaration petition, etc.
1. What situation is this extension for?
It is an extension of stay for people holding F-6-1 whose marriage is not functioning normally: separation, an ongoing divorce suit, or a missing spouse.
2. Who is eligible?
- A person separated from their spouse
- A person whose divorce suit with the spouse is ongoing (including preparing the suit or in a subsequent appeal)
- A person whose spouse is missing but not yet declared missing by the family court
Separation means keeping the formal marriage while the couple has not lived together for a long period; weekend couples are not separated.
3. Which documents are common to all?
- Application (Form No. 34), passport and alien registration card, fee
- The Korean spouse's detailed marriage relation certificate and resident registration certificate
- The child's family relation certificate if a child was born to the couple
- Foreigner occupation report
- Proof of residence (lease, accommodation confirmation, etc.)
4. What is proven by each ground?
- Separation: the Korean spouse's runaway report, injury medical certificate or photo evidence, domestic-violence shelter admission confirmation, criminal judgment, confirmation by people nearby or a recognized women's organization (a prison-confinement certificate is mandatory if the spouse is imprisoned)
- Divorce suit: suit filing certificate and other suit documents
- Missing spouse: the petition for a missing-person declaration accepted by the family court, missing-person report, confirmation by people nearby or a recognized women's organization
5. What happens after the marriage fully ends?
When the marriage is severed (death, disappearance, divorce), other procedures such as the F-6-3 change of status for severed marriages exist, so review separately by ground and timing. The extension in this article assumes the marriage has not fully ended.
6. Common problems
- Claiming separation without objective material showing a long period apart
- Timing of divorce suit documents not matching the stay expiry date
- Describing a weekend-couple arrangement as separation
7. How Vision Administrative Office can help
We review whether a qualifying ground applies and organize the proof list and submission order. We do not handle the divorce suit itself, and we do not handle litigation or court representation (outside the scope of an administrative scrivener).
Official Basis
"Separation means keeping the formal marriage while the couple has not lived together for a long period; weekend couples do not count as separated." — Residence Manual by Status, Marriage Migrant (F-6), extension for separation, divorce suit or missing spouse (F-6-1) (summarized from the Korean original)
"(1) a person separated from the spouse (2) a person whose divorce suit is ongoing (3) a person whose spouse is missing but not yet declared missing by the family court"
Basis: Ministry of Justice Residence Manual by Status (as of September 2026). Immigration offices decide each case and may request additional documents; no outcome can be promised.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I extend my stay if separated?
A person staying under F-6-1 who is separated from the spouse is eligible for an extension. Submit documents proving the separation.
Is a weekend couple separated?
The manual states that weekend couples do not count as separated.
I am preparing for a divorce suit. Am I eligible?
People preparing a divorce suit and those in a subsequent appeal are included.
What if my spouse goes missing?
Before the family court declares them missing you are eligible, submitting the accepted petition, a missing-person report, confirmations by people nearby, etc.
What if my spouse is imprisoned?
The spouse's confinement certificate is mandatory, with confirmation by family within the 4th degree and similar.
Related Guides
Consultation
비전행정사사무소 (Vision Administrative Office) is an administrative office that supports document preparation and filing with the authorities. Fees vary by case and are explained during a consultation. Phone 02-363-2251 · Contact: https://f6visa.com/en/contact