Visa Struggles: South Korea's Push for U.S. Business Travel Flexibility

South Korea is advocating for changes in the U.S. visa system following an immigration raid at a Georgia battery plant that detained hundreds of South Koreans. There's a push to create a special visa category for South Korean workers who bring essential technical skills to U.S. projects.

South Korea is intensifying its efforts to revise the U.S. visa system, focusing on longer-term stays for its citizens following an immigration raid at a battery plant in Georgia.

Both nations are contemplating the establishment of a working group to explore new visa options for skilled Korean workers, a key point discussed during the South Korean foreign minister's recent visit to Washington. Presently, South Korean companies are significant investors in the U.S., but face visa challenges unlike their counterparts from Australia and Mexico.

Efforts to pass a bill for expanded visa categories have seen little progress due to immigration's contentious nature in U.S. politics. Nevertheless, there's acknowledgment of the importance of Korean workers in facilitating operations, with calls for better coordination between federal and state immigration policies.

(With inputs from agencies.)