[US Investment Firm 'Visa' Challenge] ③ Signatories of the 'Companion Act' in US Congress Reduced to One-Quarter... Momentum Fades

From 118 Lawmakers Sponsoring in 2013 to Only 29 This Year
Declining Support Lowers Policy Momentum ↓

While South Korea's business community is requesting the U.S. government to expand professional visas, the number of lawmakers in the U.S. Congress agreeing to introduce related bills is steadily decreasing. So far, economic organizations including the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) and the business sector have mainly focused on persuading their U.S. counterparts, but policy momentum in Congress is waning. Additionally, it has been revealed that the rejection rate for professional visas during the Donald Trump administration soared significantly compared to other administrations, leading to assessments that the golden time to resolve the issue is running out.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump is seen with a relaxed expression at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on the 5th (local time).
[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

According to KITA and the U.S. Congress website on the 15th, the number of lawmakers who signed the "Korea Partner Act," which includes issuing 15,000 Korean professional visas 'E-4' annually?similar in effect to the H-1B professional visa?has dropped to a quarter over the past decade. During the 113th Congress (2013?2014), 118 lawmakers (6 in the Senate, 112 in the House) participated in signing the bill, but this number decreased to 87 (6 Senate, 81 House) in the 114th Congress (2015?2016). The number continued to decline in subsequent sessions, with only 29 lawmakers (3 Senate, 26 House) signing in the 118th Congress (2023?2024). Although the bill has been introduced every session, support has gradually diminished.

If former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, wins the U.S. presidential election this November, securing visa quotas for Koreans is expected to become even more difficult. According to investigations by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), the rejection rate for new H-1B visa applications was 2% in 2012 (Obama administration first term), 7.8% from 2013 to 2016 (Obama administration second term), but surged to 15.3% during 2017?2020 (Trump administration). Under the Biden administration, which took office in 2021, the rejection rate dropped back to 3%. The rejection rates are based on visa applications submitted to the U.S. from around the world.

Given this trend, if former President Trump succeeds in his re-election bid, the rejection rate for new H-1B visa issuances may rise again. According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of State as of 2022, the cumulative number of H-1B visas issued stands at 166,271 for India, 6,070 for China, and only 2,140 for South Korea.

The business community insists that the "Korea Partner Act," which includes provisions for issuing a separate Korean professional visa 'E-4' due to the low H-1B visa issuance rate, must be passed.

However, there is little momentum to move U.S. politics. A senior government official revealed, "Our government officials have requested U.S. Congress members every time they meet to pass the Korea Partner Act at the congressional level, but it has not gone as hoped." He added, "Recognizing the decline in legislative momentum within Congress, there is no other way but to strongly urge the passage of the bill as domestic companies increase their investments in the U.S."

A KITA official said, "Since the Biden administration, Korean companies such as Samsung have been increasing their investments in the U.S., so we have no choice but to emphasize the urgency of the bill and the administrative processing of Korean visa issuance."