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New visa support desk launched at U.S. embassy in Seoul aims to prevent repeat of Georgia ICE detentions fiasco

Published: 05 Dec. 2025, 19:18 Updated: 06 Dec. 2025, 00:03

SEO JI-EUN
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Korean and U.S. officials attend the first meeting of the South Korea-U.S. Business Travel and Visa Working Group in Washington on Sept. 30. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

Seoul and Washington formally launched a dedicated support channel inside the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on Friday to assist Korean companies investing in the United States and prevent visa-related disruptions following the detention of Korean workers in Georgia earlier this year.

Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jin-a and acting U.S. Ambassador Kevin Kim visited the new Korean Investment and Travel Desk — the KIT Desk — on Friday afternoon and reviewed progress made through the bilateral working group on business travel and visas, which has convened twice since September, according to Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The recent measures were driven in part by the incident in September when more than 300 Korean workers at a Hyundai-LG joint battery plant site in Georgia, working on B-1 visas and ESTAs, were detained during a surprise immigration sweep.

The embassy has established a dedicated consultation space and assigned specialized staff, having already begun pilot operations with major Korean investors in recent months. The KIT Desk is supported by interagency partners, including officials from the U.S. State Department, the Commerce Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

As part of the outcome, the United States agreed to add detailed annotations to B-1 business visas issued to Korean employees “to ensure travelers are not denied entry" due to misunderstandings about their status or purpose of travel, a senior Foreign Ministry official told reporters Thursday.

The annotation specifies the traveler’s legal status under Section 402 of the State Department manual, the employer, the project name, the worksite and the expected project timeline. Roughly 15 percent of Korean travelers with valid visas were previously denied entry due to unclear or inconsistently interpreted rules.

Korea is the first country for which the United States has agreed to apply such a level of detail.

Subcontractors working for major Korean investors, such as Samsung, LG, Hyundai, SK and Hanwha, will also be able to have their employees apply for B-1 visas through the prime contractor under the new arrangement.

Large companies typically relied on L-1 or E-2 visas and faced few issues, while smaller subcontractors often struggled with documentation or repeated short-term visits that raised questions during entry inspections.

According to the ministry, the Korean workers detained in Georgia can now re-enter the United States without penalty, and ESTA holders connected to similar investment projects are being issued B-1 visas on an expedited basis, with U.S. cooperation.

Seoul and Washington have also agreed to strengthen coordination between Korean consulates and U.S. immigration enforcement agencies to ensure smoother entry for Korean workers, particularly at major hubs such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta, where many Korean companies have a significant business presence.

Still, officials acknowledged that more fundamental reforms, such as creating a new visa category tailored to Korean investment projects or amending U.S. immigration rules, require congressional approval.

“Within the existing framework, the two governments have produced the most meaningful improvements possible," the official said. "We will continue convening the working group next year and maintain close consultations with the U.S. Embassy so that Korean companies and workers can feel the benefits of these changes.”

The U.S. Embassy said in a press statement that the establishment underscores its commitment to creating a "welcoming and encouraging" Korean investment that "supports American reindustrialization, strengthens the U.S.-ROK Alliance and enhances shared prosperity."

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]