Korean employers in US call for bigger visa quota for professional workers
Ruling People Power Party Chairman Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon speaks during a policy meeting with Koreans in the U.S. at the Korean Community Center in Washington, D.C., Monday. Courtesy of People Power Party
By Ko Dong-hwan
Korean businesses in the United States urged the ruling party to make efforts to expand the quota of American visas for professional workers for Korean companies, saying their operations are being hampered by labor shortages due to the U.S. visa restrictions.
During a meeting between members of the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the USA (KOCHAM) and a delegation of the People Power Party (PPP), including chairman Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, Thursday (local time), the businesses asked the Korean government and the ruling party to urge Washington to expand the issuance of U.S. visas for nonimmigrant skilled workers or the H-1B visa.
According to the delegation, the number of H-1B visas issued per year is usually limited to some 80,000 among applicants from all countries, so it is not easy to bring skilled Koreans to their companies.
In that respect, the businesses said that Korea should secure its own H-1B annual quota like some other countries with which the U.S. has signed free trade agreements (FTA). Pursuant to the respective FTA, H-1B1 visas are set aside specifically for 5,400 Singaporeans and 1,400 Chileans, as well as E-3 visas for 10,500 Australians.
“While direct investments in the U.S. from Korea is rapidly increasing, there have been complaints that it is difficult for Korean companies to operate normally due to visa problems,” PPP spokesperson Rep. Yoo Sang-bum said.
“The companies requested the government to actively step forward to expand the U.S. professional visa quota.”