U.S. Congress Introduces Bill to Establish Professional Employment Visa for Koreans

In connection with the incident in which U.S. immigration authorities raided the Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution joint battery factory in Georgia and detained around 300 Koreans, a new bill to establish a professional employment visa specifically for Koreans has been newly introduced in the U.S. Congress.

On September 19 (local time), Representative Tom Suozzi held a press conference at his district office in Douglaston, Queens, New York City, and announced that he has reintroduced a bill to add Korea to the quota for the 'E-3' professional visa.

Workers being inspected at the Hyundai Motor battery factory construction site in the state of Georgia, USA. Photo by Yonhap News

The new bill centers on adding Korean nationals to the E-3 visa, which was originally designed for Australian professionals. Representative Suozzi had introduced a similar bill in the House of Representatives last year, but it was discarded after failing to make progress.

At the press conference, Representative Suozzi explained the background of reintroducing the bill by saying, "We all heard the news about the raid on the Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solution plant in Georgia not long ago. It was a visually horrific scene that showed how the United States treats a good friend."

Min Sun Kim, Director of the Korean American Immigration Museum, who attended the press conference, stated, "Korea is one of the United States' strongest allies and largest investors," adding, "The solution presented by this bill serves the best interests of both countries."

Representative Suozzi said, "I have a like-minded colleague, Young Kim, a Korean American from California (Republican, California)," and reported that Representative Kim participated as a co-sponsor of the bill introduced that day.

Currently, a similar bill, introduced by Representative Kim in July, which aims to issue up to 15,000 professional employment visas (E-4) to Koreans annually, is pending in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Previously, on September 12, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) analyzed in an updated report on Korea-U.S. relations that the detention incident at the Georgia plant is acting as a negative factor in bilateral relations. The report also evaluated Representative Kim's pending bill, stating, "It could provide high-skilled visas for Korean nationals."