By Lee Han-soo
A U.S. senator introduced legislation Wednesday that would grant more high-skilled nonimmigrant visas for South Koreans.
Republican Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia, along with Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, submitted legislation S.1399 titled: "A bill to provide high-skilled nonimmigrant visas for nationals of the Republic of Korea, and for other purposes."
Isakson introduced similar legislation called the "Partner with Korea Act" in 2015, which aimed to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to create an E-4 treaty trader visa category for up to 15,000 Koreans.
However, the bill was scrapped that year.
If the latest legislation passes both the House and the Senate, it would drastically increase the number of high-skilled South Koreans admitted to the U.S.
The bill is believed to be similar to the Partner with Korea Act and will provide additional H1-B visas.
This competitive working visa enables talented foreigners to live and work in the U.S. for up to six years and to apply for permanent residency.
But some people believe the bill will not pass while Donald Trump is president..
On Apr. 19, he signed an executive order seeking to change the H1-B temporary visa program and directed four federal agencies to suggest changes to the program.
According to U.S. State Department data, South Koreans claimed 1.3 percent (2,337) of 180,057 H1-B visas issued last year.
The South Korean government has in the past sought to increase the number to match the surge in Korean students studying in the U.S.
.jpg/dims/resize/740/optimize) |
| If the latest legislation passes both the House and the Senate, it would drastically increase the number of high-skilled South Koreans admitted to the U.S. / Courtesy of Pixabay |
Republican Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia, along with Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, submitted legislation S.1399 titled: "A bill to provide high-skilled nonimmigrant visas for nationals of the Republic of Korea, and for other purposes."
Isakson introduced similar legislation called the "Partner with Korea Act" in 2015, which aimed to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to create an E-4 treaty trader visa category for up to 15,000 Koreans.
However, the bill was scrapped that year.
If the latest legislation passes both the House and the Senate, it would drastically increase the number of high-skilled South Koreans admitted to the U.S.
The bill is believed to be similar to the Partner with Korea Act and will provide additional H1-B visas.
This competitive working visa enables talented foreigners to live and work in the U.S. for up to six years and to apply for permanent residency.
But some people believe the bill will not pass while Donald Trump is president..
On Apr. 19, he signed an executive order seeking to change the H1-B temporary visa program and directed four federal agencies to suggest changes to the program.
According to U.S. State Department data, South Koreans claimed 1.3 percent (2,337) of 180,057 H1-B visas issued last year.
The South Korean government has in the past sought to increase the number to match the surge in Korean students studying in the U.S.
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