Visa Challenges in U.S.-Korea Business Ties
The United States will allow South Koreans to work on equipment at U.S. sites using temporary visas, despite not expanding visa access for specialty workers. A new visa section will open in Seoul to help resolve entry issues. Legislative constraints hinder broader visa reforms.
In a strategic move to enhance U.S.-South Korea business relations, the United States has agreed to permit South Korean workers to operate equipment at American investment sites under existing temporary visa provisions, Seoul's foreign ministry announced on Wednesday.
This decision follows the arrest of hundreds of South Korean workers during an immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor car battery facility in Georgia, underscoring the visa accessibility challenge for specialized personnel.
Despite these advances, U.S. officials have not provided solutions for broader visa access, citing legislative constraints. New mechanisms, including a dedicated visa section in Seoul, aim to mitigate entry issues, but comprehensive reforms remain hampered by immigration-linked political sensitivities.
(With inputs from agencies.)
Google News