President Donald Trump hinted at the need to address visa issues following the large-scale immigration raid that occurred at the Hyundai Motor Company-LG Energy Solution joint battery plant in Georgia on the 4th. Consequently, the E-4 work visa, a special visa for Koreans that has been stalled for over a decade, is gaining attention as a realistic alternative. On the 7th, President Trump urged foreign companies investing in the United States to comply with U.S. immigration laws, while also promising to address the difficulties these companies face in sending their own employees to the United States.
In a post on his social media platform, TruthSocial, President Trump stated, “Following the immigration raid on the Georgia battery plant, I urge all foreign companies investing in the United States to respect our country’s immigration laws. We will make it possible for you to do so quickly and legally.”
President Trump also told reporters at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C., “If this country doesn’t have people who know about batteries, we should help them (South Korea) bring some people here and train them to learn complex tasks like battery manufacturing, computer manufacturing, and shipbuilding.”
This raises expectations that President Trump is hinting at expanding the issuance of H-1B visas for skilled workers. In this regard, calls are growing louder for passage of the E-4 visa bill, a dedicated Korean-born worker visa that has been stalled in Congress for over a decade.
Since 2013, the “Korea Partnership Act,” which would provide an annual quota of up to 15,000 Korean-born workers for Korean nationals with specialized education and skills, has been consistently introduced in Congress. However, the bill has made no progress due to the indifference of US politicians and the passive attitude of the Korean government and businesses.
Congressman Young Kim (R-Korea) reintroduced the “Korea Partnership Act” in July. However, with only two co-sponsors besides Rep. Kim—Sidney Kamrager-Dove (Democrat) and Brian Fitzpatrick (Republican), support within the federal Congress is weak. However, some analysts believe that if President Trump actively addresses the visa issue, the legislation could gain greater momentum than ever before.
Some in Washington, D.C., political circles point out, “Until now, the Republican Party has been reluctant to support the Korean-only work visa bill, viewing it as an immigration issue. Therefore, we must focus our efforts on shifting the perception of federal lawmakers from immigration to economic issues.”
They emphasize, “If President Trump can influence the leadership of the Republican Party in Congress, the chances of success will be higher than ever. The Korean government should actively engage in persuading President Trump.”