U.S. to allow skilled Korean visa holders to work at factory sites, Foreign Ministry says
Published: 01 Oct. 2025, 10:03
Updated: 01 Oct. 2025, 15:15
![The State Department in Washington [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/10/01/6163259b-a13d-48a6-b0f3-41b170721064.jpg)
The State Department in Washington [YONHAP]
The United States will permit skilled Korean workers traveling on certain existing visas to engage in factory construction work, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.
Seoul and Washington launched a bilateral working group in Washington on Tuesday to address visa-related issues for skilled workers after the detention of some 300 Korean workers in a recent U.S. immigration raid raised questions over the credibility of the United States as an investment partner.
In the inaugural meeting of the Korea-U.S. "Business Travel and Visa Working Group” between the Foreign Ministry and the U.S. State Department, the two sides decided to establish a dedicated desk at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul to handle visa-related issues for Korean companies investing in the United States.
Workers may use the B-1 visa for services related to installing, inspecting and repairing overseas-purchased equipment, the ministry reaffirmed.
It also confirmed that Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, holders are officially allowed to engage in the same activities as B-1 visa holders.
In the meeting, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau emphasized the "critical" role of skilled personnel in ensuring the success of foreign investments, reaffirming the U.S. commitment to welcoming and encouraging investment, particularly from Korea, according to the department.
The department said that the U.S. government is working closely with Korea to advance the bilateral trade and investment partnership, including by "processing appropriate visas for qualified ROK visitors to continue investing in America, in compliance with U.S. laws," referring to Korea by the initialism for its official name.
The first working group meeting was co-chaired by Jung Ki-hong, Korea's government representative for consular affairs and the overseas protection of Korean nationals, and Kevin Kim, the U.S. department's senior bureau official for East Asian and Pacific affairs.
The detention of the Korean workers followed Seoul’s commitment to investing $350 billion in the United States as part of a bilateral trade deal struck in late July. Seoul and Washington have been struggling to hash out the details of the investment package to finalize the deal.
BY YONHAP, SHIN MIN-HEE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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