The United States has strengthened its capacity to issue business-purpose visas for Koreans, the New York Times (NYT) reported on the 29th.
According to the report, the U.S. State Department has reinforced visa screening staff since last month so it can conduct about 5,000 additional interviews beyond the usual volume. The State Department said, "By adding consular staff for visas that support Korea's investment in the United States and facilitating legitimate business trips while maintaining the highest level of national security, we are fulfilling the promise of (President Donald Trump's) reindustrialization of the United States."
However, the State Department did not disclose specific figures such as the period over which the 5,000 additional interviews were handled or the previous interview volume. It also did not reveal the size of the added staffing.
This move appears not unrelated to the fallout from the incident in September when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided the Hyundai Motor Group–LG Energy Solution battery construction site in Georgia and classified and detained 317 Korean workers as illegal immigrants. The workers at the time had B-1 short-term business visas or entered under the visa waiver program (ESTA). They headed home a week after detention through negotiations between the two countries.
After the incident, Korea and the United States formed a working group on visa systems, and the United States clarified that B-1 visas can be used in the installation, inspection, and maintenance of facilities in the United States by Korean corporations, and that those entering under ESTA are effectively allowed the same scope of activity. Previously, the United States restored the visas of all detained workers who held B-1 visas, and about 30 of them returned to the site, the NYT reported.
President Trump has also publicly emphasized the need to utilize foreign labor. At an investment forum in Washington, D.C., on the 19th, Trump said, "Battery production is a very dangerous and complex process," adding, "To strengthen U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, the help of foreign experts is essential."
He also said regarding the September enforcement incident that he "told them 'don't do it that way' and ultimately resolved the issue," adding, "Now they are passing on the skills needed to our workers."