What actually moves an OASIS score: the six levers, with the point values the operator prints
Courses, intellectual property, Korean language, degrees, incubation and investment — each lever carries a printed point value and a time cost. The operator's own worked example reaches 60 points in five moves; the inconsistent block headers are why you should verify, not assume, any total.
The OASIS matrix looks like a wall of Korean programme names. It is actually six levers, each with a printed point value and a printed time cost — and the operator's own worked example shows the cheapest combination to 60.
Lever one: the courses
The eight OASIS courses carry values from the operator's page: OASIS-1 basic IP 10, OASIS-2 advanced IP 10, OASIS-4 basic startup class 10, OASIS-5 mentoring 15, OASIS-6 exhibition 30, OASIS-7 incubation graduation 15, OASIS-8 corporation establishment 15, OASIS-9 commercialisation support 30.
Time costs are printed with them: OASIS-1 runs 2 days (12+ hours, 80 percent attendance required); mentoring is 6 hours over 3 sessions; incubation needs six months of residency before graduation counts.
The Global Startup Center's 2026 page prints the two courses it runs at the same values — OASIS-4 at 10, OASIS-5 at 15.
Lever two: intellectual property
Holding, co-inventing or applying for registered IPRs are prerequisite items. The page prints applications at up to 10 points regardless of count, and lets multiple IPRs overlap to a maximum of 60.
One OECD footnote matters: an IPR registered in an OECD country earns the OASIS-2 education exemption — the advanced IP course is waived with point recognition.
Levers three to six: language, education, incubation, investment
Korean ability and degrees sit in the elective block: TOPIK/KIIP level 5+ at 20 points, level 3+ at 10; a master's degree or higher at 10.
Incubation graduation is 15 points after six months. Investment is the capital lever: KRW 100 million or more, received from ACs, VCs or policy financing institutions and verified by the center.
| Lever | Printed value | Printed time cost |
|---|---|---|
| OASIS-1 Basic IP Course | 10 | 2 days |
| OASIS-5 Coaching & Mentoring | 15 | 6 hours, 3 sessions |
| OASIS-7 Incubation graduation | 15 | 6 months' residency |
| OASIS-8 Corporation establishment | 15 | 2 weeks (per the worked example) |
| OASIS-6 Exhibition | 30 | Not printed |
| OASIS-9 Commercialisation support | 30 | Not printed |
| TOPIK/KIIP 5+ | 20 | Exam/course dependent |
| Registered IPR | Prerequisite; overlap cap 60 | Filing periods apply |
| KRW 100M+ investment | Prerequisite | Investor-dependent |
The operator's own route to 60
The page's worked example: OASIS-4 (10) + OASIS-5 (15) + OASIS-8 (15) + OASIS-1 (10) + a patent application (10). Five moves, no registered patent — the application itself is the IP anchor.
Frequently asked questions
- Which lever earns points fastest?
- Per the operator's worked example, the course levers: OASIS-1 (2 days, 10 points), OASIS-4 (10 points) and OASIS-8 corporation establishment (15 points) are all scheduled in days-to-weeks. IPR registration earns more but takes longer; a patent application is printed at 10 points.
- How much does Korean language ability add?
- As an elective: TOPIK or KIIP level 5 or higher is printed at 20 points, level 3 or higher at 10. On the trade visa (D-9-1), TOPIK 3 is a threshold, not just points — different system, different role.
- Do patents and IP dominate the matrix?
- The prerequisite block is IP-anchored — holding, co-inventing or applying for registered IPRs are prerequisite items, with applications recognised up to 10 points and multiple IPRs allowed to overlap up to a maximum of 60 points. But the operator's own 60-point example contains no registered IPR — only an application.
- What does incubation add?
- OASIS-7, graduation from startup incubation, is printed at 15 points — and graduation is recognised only after six months of residency. OASIS-6, the invention and startup exhibition, is printed at 30 points.
- Does investment count?
- Yes: the prerequisite list includes a secured investment of KRW 100 million or more, where the operator verifies and recommends individuals who received investments, loans or guarantees from ACs, VCs or policy financing institutions.
- Why does this post warn about totals?
- Because the operator's own page prints inconsistent block headers — 180 prerequisite points, 120 elective points — alongside a 60-point threshold. The per-item values are printed clearly; the arithmetic framing is not. Verify against the operator's table and confirm with immigration before filing.
Sources
- Global Start-up Immigration Center (OASIS operator), D-8-4 page — course values, IPR overlap rules, elective values, investment footnote — read 2026-09-01
- Global Start-up Immigration Center (OASIS operator), process page — route and OASIS-certificate context — read 2026-09-01
- Global Startup Center OASIS page — 2026 programme values (OASIS-4 10, OASIS-5 15) — read 2026-09-01
- Hero photograph: training session participants, by Seini.coe, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — read 2026-09-01
Everything above is the rule as published. See how it applies to your case.