Seoul launches task force to fix US visa system after mass detention
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South Korean workers who were detained in a US immigration raid arriving at Incheon International Airport on Sept 12.
PHOTO: EPA
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SEOUL – Seoul has launched a “pan-government task force for addressing US visa issues”, formed in the wake of the unprecedented mass detention of South Korean workers by US immigration authorities.
The Foreign Ministry said it held the task force’s first plenary meeting on Sept 18, with participation from the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups on the government side.
The Korea Enterprises Federation and the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Businesses also took part in the task force to “ensure that the opinions of Korean companies are fully reflected in consultations with the US and that the public and private sectors can respond together”, said the Foreign Ministry.
South Korea has gone all out to push for improvements to the US visa system after 317 South Koreans were arrested and detained during the Sept 4 immigration raid at an EV battery plant
At the task force’s first meeting, participants reviewed key issues ahead of the inaugural working-group talks on visa matters
The Foreign Ministry said the meeting “examined matters necessary for consultations with the US – including Korean companies’ difficulties in visa issuance, their demand and plans for dispatching personnel – and discussed plans for consultations with the US, including the items the Korean side will raise with the US side to address visa issues”.
“The pan-government task force decided to hold meetings regularly and to discuss whole-of-government responses to resolve difficulties related to the entry of personnel from Korean companies investing in the US and to improve visa procedures,” the Foreign Ministry added.
Most of the detained Korean workers had entered the US on non-immigrant short-term business visas – either B-1 visas or Electronic System for Travel Authorisation permits – which are intended for brief business visits rather than employment.
South Koreans can work in the US on H-1B visas. However, only about 2,000 are granted each year for South Koreans, which is much less than the H-1B cap of around 85,000 slots.
Against that backdrop, South Korean companies see the lack of appropriate US work visa options for their employees as a fundamental reason they resort to using such short-term visas.
They view the insufficient visa issuance as a major obstacle to their US investments.
This concern contrasts sharply with South Korea’s status as the largest foreign investor in the US in 2023, with US$21.5 billion (S$27.5 billion) invested.
In addition, the Lee Jae Myung administration has pledged US$350 billion in additional investment
