Korea seeks dedicated US visa quota for shipbuilding workers

Korea is seeking a dedicated U.S. visa quota for shipbuilding workers as a condition for carrying out its $150 billion investment commitment under the Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA) initiative, according to the information submitted to Rep. Huh Sung-moo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

On Monday, Huh said that information he had received from the ministry indicated that it has been “explaining” to its U.S. counterparts the conditions “Washington needs to meet for Korea to fulfill its investment commitment.”

“In particular, we have requested that the U.S. provide sufficient shipbuilding orders, allow joint shipbuilding through exemptions from restrictions on overseas construction, offer financial incentives and establish a dedicated visa quota for shipbuilding workers as prerequisites for implementing the investment commitment,” the ministry said in its response.

The Korean government and business associations have been pushing for the introduction of a new E-4 visa category for Korean professionals in specialty occupations, but the proposal has yet to be enacted into law.

In a separate response to Huh's inquiry about whether the proposed shipbuilding visa quota would be separated from the E-4 visa, the ministry said it has “not made a specific request, but we believe that professional workers covered by the existing visa proposal and skilled technical workers needed at shipyards are different categories of workers.”

“The number of workers needed will vary depending on the timing and progress of each investment project,” the ministry said. “At this stage, we believe establishing a visa route for workers to enter the U.S. is more important than specifying a number.”

In a separate statement, the industry ministry said: “Led by the foreign ministry, Korea is discussing ways to improve the visa system to facilitate the entry and stay of Korean corporate personnel, including those in the shipbuilding sector.”

The push for a dedicated visa quota for shipbuilding workers is key, as the sector accounts for $150 billion of Korea's $350 billion investment commitment to the U.S., making it the largest single segment in the package.

Compared with other areas of investment, shipbuilding offers more clearly defined areas of cooperation under a structure where Korean shipbuilders can directly benefit.

To help revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry, skilled Korean workers will need to be deployed to American shipyards in the early stages to transfer their expertise and know-how. Personnel exchanges are also essential because the cooperation covers not only shipbuilding operations but also joint research and development projects.

Currently, the Partner with Korea Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Young Kim, is pending in Congress. The bill seeks to establish a new visa category for Korean nationals working in specialty occupations, with an annual quota of up to 15,000 visas. Although versions of the bill have been introduced in successive sessions of Congress for more than a decade, it has yet to make significant progress.

Even if the legislation advances, the quota would have to be shared across professions, potentially leaving insufficient slots for workers in shipbuilding. This appears to be one reason Korea is pushing for a separate, dedicated visa quota for the sector.

“To maximize the benefits of the MASGA project, additional institutional measures are required,” Huh said. “Effective support measures, including visa negotiations, should be pursued to ensure that Korean workers can be employed at U.S. shipyards without difficulty.”