'K-visa' proposed to help Korean firms navigate Trump's immigration policies

American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) Chairman James Kim speaks during the AMCHAM Insights: U.S. Visa Seminar in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

Business leaders and legal experts from Korea and the United States urged Washington on Monday to create a so-called "K-visa" to prevent Korean companies from facing setbacks in their U.S. investments amid tightening immigration regulations under the Donald Trump administration.

Criticizing the lack of a dedicated U.S. visa category for Korean professionals, they said the K-visa would be the key to a stronger Korea-U.S. economic partnership.

"The Georgia case underscores how essential it is for companies to fully understand and comply with U.S. visa rules. Beyond compliance, we must also prepare for new opportunities such as the proposed K-visa, which could strengthen workforce mobility and the U.S.-Korea partnership," American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) Chairman James Kim said during the chamber's U.S. Visa Seminar in Seoul.

The annual seminar was held to introduce U.S. visa categories, procedures and application requirements to Korean companies seeking U.S. market entry. It also covered common pitfalls and how to avoid them, as well as workforce strategies for smoother market entry.

Minor opposition Jinbo Party members picket during the AMCHAM Insights: U.S. Visa Seminar in Seoul, Monday, to denounce the weeklong detention of more than 300 Korean workers in the United States earlier this month following an immigration raid in Georgia at the HL-GA Battery Company factory construction site. Yonhap

This year's event drew attention due to the weeklong detention of more than 300 Korean workers in the U.S. earlier this month following an immigration raid in Georgia at the HL-GA Battery Company factory construction site, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution. Members of the minor opposition Jinbo Party even picketed at the event venue to denounce the detention and ask for an apology from the U.S. government.

The K-visa proposed in the seminar is the same as what has been called the E-4 visa, a proposed visa sought under the Partner with Korea Act that has been under Congress review.

Jung Man-suk, a U.S.-licensed attorney from Daeyang Immigration Law Group, highlighted in his keynote presentation the importance of the act, saying that the creation of a K-visa could provide 15,000 annual slots for skilled Korean professionals.

Unlike other major U.S. trade partners such as Japan and Singapore, both of which benefit from dedicated visa categories, Korea still has no such framework.

As a result, Korean firms sending supervisors to their U.S. plants have had to rely mainly on H-1B specialty occupation visas, which are issued to only 85,000 visitors worldwide each year through a random lottery.

However, the Georgia immigration raid has provided momentum for efforts to persuade the U.S. to create a dedicated visa for highly skilled Korean nationals, as the incident has raised awareness among U.S. politicians about the need to reform the country's visa system.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who sent congratulatory video remarks for the seminar, reaffirmed the U.S. government's strong commitment to supporting Korean companies as they expand in the American market.

"Investment from Korean companies is absolutely key to President Trump's vision for our country," he said. "We are deeply grateful for the scale and impact of these investments and we recognize that they cannot succeed without the ability for Korean executives to come to the United States, share their expertise and help train American workers."