I'm a 70-year-old Korean-American and want to visit Korea for more than 90 days?

Yes, the F-4 Overseas Korean visa is exactly the right choice for a 70-year-old Korean-American wanting extended stays. F-4 is designed for ethnic Koreans holding foreign citizenship and grants essentially the same rights as Korean nationals minus voting and military service. There's no age limit, and qualifying just requires proof of Korean ancestry through your or your parents' Korean family register (호적) or birth records.

Key F-4 benefits: Stay in Korea up to 3 years per single entry (renewable indefinitely), unlimited multiple entries during the visa validity (typically 3 to 5 years), full work permission in any field except low-skilled labor categories, ability to start a business or own real estate, eligible for NHIS health insurance, can open Korean bank accounts and credit cards as a resident, exempt from departure tax, and eligible to get a Korean ID card-equivalent (외국국적동포 거소신고증). At 70+ you'll especially appreciate the unlimited stays, since Korean medical care is excellent and roughly 80 percent cheaper than US care under NHIS, with English-speaking specialists at major hospitals.

Application: Apply at any Korean consulate in the US or directly at HiKorea immigration offices in Korea if you're already on a tourist visa. Required documents: Birth certificate showing Korean parent's name, parent's Korean family register or birth record, US passport, US criminal background check (FBI fingerprint check), two passport photos, and the application form. The trickiest part is finding your or your parent's Korean family records, which can be requested at the local Korean consulate, the Korean Family Registration Office (가족관계등록부), or city halls in your parent's birth city. The Korean Embassy in Washington DC offers a Korean Heritage Document Service. Processing takes 4 to 8 weeks. Cost is about 80 USD.

For your situation, consider also applying for the Domicile Report (거소신고) once you arrive. This functions like a Korean residency card and gives you access to NHIS within 6 months of registration, premium tax treatments, and easier banking. The Seoul Global Center and Overseas Koreans Foundation (oka.go.kr) provide free F-4 consultations in English and have specific senior resources, including elderly care navigation, English-speaking geriatric specialists, and Korean-American senior community groups in Seoul (특히 강남, 연희동) that meet weekly for cultural events. Once you have F-4, your stay can essentially be permanent without ever needing F-5 permanent residency.