US Moves to Revamp Visa Rules to Support Korean Investment, but Enforcement Concerns Persist

Christopher Landau, U.S. deputy secretary of state. [EPA/Yonhap]

The U.S. government is moving to revamp its visa system to better support South Korean companies investing in the United States, citing the need to move training and operations staff in and out on time. But officials and investors say the push to attract foreign capital still clashes with a hard-line immigration enforcement posture.

Christopher Landau, the U.S. deputy secretary of state, said May 5 (local time) at the SelectUSA investment promotion event in National Harbor, Maryland, that Washington is "making major changes" to the visa system to address concerns raised by the South Korean government and companies. He said South Korean capital and know-how can be put to work in the United States only if personnel can travel for training and operations, and that current visa rules do not adequately reflect that demand.

The effort follows a case last September in Georgia in which more than 300 South Korean business consultants and workers were detained at a Hyundai Motor plant site. The incident became a diplomatic issue between the two allies, and a U.S.-South Korea visa working group was launched afterward. In December, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul also opened a dedicated visa window for South Korean companies.

Landau, while stressing that the United States is strictly enforcing immigration and visa laws, said "these systems should not become unnecessary obstacles" to foreign investment. With South Korea having pledged $350 billion (about 515 trillion won) in U.S. investment during tariff negotiations, visa issues have emerged as a key factor in carrying out those plans, not a side concern.

Still, reaction on the ground has been cool. Middle East Eye, a London-based online outlet focused on the Middle East, reported comments from U.S. southern state officials responsible for investment recruitment who attended the same event. They said it is difficult to reassure foreign companies while a strong anti-immigration stance continues.

"There is no good answer," one official was quoted as saying. "We have to explain to foreign investors that they are safe and protected, but the reality is not." Another said the United States still looks like the most attractive market, "but inside it looks like the house is on fire."

SelectUSA is the U.S. government’s flagship investment promotion event, launched in 2013. The U.S. Commerce Department says the program has supported more than $400 billion (about 588 trillion won) in investment and more than 270,000 jobs.

With investment promotion and strict immigration enforcement moving in parallel, a central question is whether visa changes can ease uncertainty for companies trying to invest and operate in the United States.

* This article has been translated by AI.

AJP