"U.S. Investment Attraction and Immigration Policy Clash... Need for Korean Professional Visas"

Arius Dare of the Korea Economic Institute Posts on Website
"Small and Medium Subcontractors Vulnerable... Major Corporations Must Pay Attention"

There have been calls for improvements to the U.S. visa system, such as enabling Korean personnel to work legally, in order for the Donald Trump administration to achieve its goal of revitalizing American manufacturing by maintaining and expanding Korean corporate investment in a stable manner.

Reuters Yonhap News

On September 8 (local time), Arius Dare, Director of Communications at the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI), wrote on the KEI website that the immigration authorities' inspection of the Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution battery plant construction site in Georgia highlights a conflict between the Trump administration's goals of deporting illegal immigrants and rebuilding manufacturing through attracting foreign investment.

Dare pointed out that while the U.S. is actively seeking to attract advanced manufacturing investment from Korea, federal immigration laws make it difficult for Korean companies such as Hyundai to bring in specific technical talent needed for new factories in the U.S. He stated, "The U.S. wants foreign direct investment (FDI) and the accompanying advanced manufacturing, but provides few legal avenues for quickly deploying specialized personnel tailored to factories." He added, "Companies like Hyundai need to work with the U.S. to ensure that skilled professionals such as engineers can train and support local staff," emphasizing that "Korean technicians who understand the production line are necessary until the factory is fully established."

Dare particularly noted that small and medium-sized Korean subcontractors entering the U.S. alongside large corporations must respond quickly to the demands of their client companies. However, the complex and time-consuming administrative procedures of the U.S. immigration system expose these firms to significant uncertainty. He warned, "The long wait times and extensive paperwork of the U.S. immigration system can pose a potential threat to the survival of companies that need to respond rapidly," and urged major corporations such as Hyundai and Samsung not to consider visa compliance solely the responsibility of subcontractors, but to take a greater interest in the issue.

Additionally, Dare argued that existing visa systems such as the H1B specialty occupation visa are insufficient to meet the labor demands of the rapidly advancing investments by Korean companies, and called on the U.S. Congress to establish a new specialty visa for Korean nationals. He said, "A dedicated channel for highly skilled Korean nationals must be created. The bipartisan 'Partner with Korea Act' includes provisions for a new 'E class' specialty visa for Koreans," adding that "it would operate similarly to Australia's E-3 visa or Singapore and Chile's H-1B1 visa." He also mentioned that, in addition to congressional action, the U.S. administration could flexibly manage existing visa programs, for example, by expanding the activities permitted for B1 visa holders.

Dare recommended that the Trump administration reconsider ways to improve the overall immigration system in line with the increase in foreign investment and changes in industrial strategy. He noted, "Korea is currently one of the largest investors in the United States," and cautioned that "the Trump administration should consider that publicizing immigration enforcement scenes online could fuel negative public opinion rather than deter illegal stays." He stressed, "Without institutional changes, it will be difficult for the Trump administration to achieve its goals of strengthening U.S. manufacturing and fostering advanced industries. The investment has already come to the U.S., so now immigration policy must follow the industrial strategy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.