CU Becomes First Korean Convenience Store Chain to Launch On-Site Visa Support for Foreign Residents

In a pioneering move blending retail convenience with immigration services, CU, one of South Korea’s leading convenience store brands operated by BGF Retail, has launched an on-site visa assistance service aimed at the country’s growing population of foreign residents. The program, the first of its kind in South Korea, marks a bold step in integrating essential public services into everyday retail settings.

Credit: Adobe Stock

📌 Background: Growing Demand for Accessible Immigration Support

South Korea is home to over 2 million foreign nationals, with a rising number of long-term residents, international students, and migrant workers. Navigating visa renewals, residency paperwork, and other administrative tasks has traditionally required visits to immigration offices or reliance on costly legal intermediaries—often posing challenges for those unfamiliar with the language or bureaucracy.

Recognizing this gap, CU partnered with immigration service platform K-Visa to make professional assistance more accessible. This initiative aligns with South Korea’s broader goals of improving support infrastructure for non-Korean residents amid demographic shifts and labor shortages.

Credit: koreatravelpost

🏪 How the Service Works: A Digital-Physical Hybrid Model

The visa support service is currently offered at CU locations in foreigner-dense areas, such as:

• Itaewon

• Daerim

• Gwangju

• Changwon

• Ansan

More locations are expected to follow soon.

The process is streamlined and tech-enabled:

1. Visit a participating CU store and scan the displayed QR code at the counter.

2. You’re redirected to a mobile form (available in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese).

3. Submit your personal and visa-related information through the K-Visa platform.

4. The system matches you with a licensed administrative specialist (행정사).

5. Track your application status in real time—from submission to immigration approval.

This removes the need to navigate Korea’s often complex immigration system alone or make unnecessary in-person visits.

💸 Affordable, Transparent Pricing

CU’s visa assistance pricing is highly competitive:

• Visa extension services START from ₩20,000 (~$14).

• This is approximately 50% cheaper than market rates typically charged by private agencies.

By offering a standardized, affordable model, CU is lowering barriers for many foreign residents, particularly students, low-income workers, and small business operators.

🛠️ Types of Visa Support Available

The service covers a broad range of visa categories, including:

• Visa extensions (e.g., D-4, D-2, E-series)

• Work permits

• Spouse and family visas

• Permanent residency (F-series)

• Naturalization support

  
  

It also supports document preparation such as:

• Employment contracts

• Lease verifications

• Tax statements

• Academic certificates

All applications are processed in accordance with Ministry of Justice standards.

Credit:  BGF Retail

📈 CU’s Vision: Combining Retail and Public Service

According to a BGF Retail spokesperson:

“CU aims to become a lifestyle hub for both Korean and foreign residents. We see this visa service as a way to extend our brand’s utility beyond retail, helping immigrants feel more supported and connected.”

By the end of 2025, CU aims to roll out this service to over 1,000 stores nationwide, focusing on regions with high multicultural populations.

This initiative is part of CU’s broader shift toward becoming a multifunctional community space, having previously introduced services like parcel lockers, banking kiosks, and even pet registration.

🌍 Industry Implications and Social Impact

CU’s visa assistance service is being hailed as a model for inclusive business innovation:

• Social Integration: Eases burdens on non-Korean residents and improves access to legal rights and social benefits.

• Retail Diversification: Sets CU apart from competitors by turning stores into community support centers.

• Public-Private Collaboration: Demonstrates how convenience store networks can be leveraged for public service delivery.

Observers suggest this could inspire similar moves from other major Korean chains like GS25 or 7-Eleven, sparking a new era of “service convergence” in the retail sector.

CU’s visa assistance program is more than a customer convenience—it’s a reflection of South Korea’s evolving multicultural identity. By embedding administrative help into everyday spaces, CU is taking an innovative approach to accessibility, community service, and customer engagement.

As the service expands nationwide, it has the potential to become a benchmark for retail-driven social support not just in Korea, but globally.

Credit:  BGF Retail