The first meeting of the 'Visa Working Group' is being held in Washington D.C., U.S. on the 30th (local time) to prevent the recurrence of the Georgia detainment incident involving Korean nationals. Yonhap News. 

It has been reported on the 12th that the number of non-immigrant visas issued to Korean nationals has sharply declined since the launch of Donald Trump's second administration, which has been strongly pursuing anti-immigration policies this year.

According to the office of Rep. Hong Ki-won of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, an analysis of the U.S. Department of State's visa issuance statistics by country revealed that from January to May of this year, Korean nationals were issued a total of 24,736 non-immigrant visas to the United States, a decrease of approximately 18.3% compared to the same period last year (30,262 cases).

The number of B1/B2 visas, issued for business and tourism purposes, decreased by 41.2%, from 7,407 cases last year to 4,352 cases this year. The number of E1/E2 visas, issued to executives of trading companies and investors, also saw a decrease of 36.4%, from 3,241 cases last year to 2,062 cases this year.

Student (F1) visas issued to students studying in the U.S. and J1 visas required for participation in programs such as exchange student and internship programs also decreased significantly, falling from 4,839 to 3,853 and from 3,212 to 2,631, respectively.

Rep. Hong Ki-won pointed out, "The strong anti-immigration policies of the United States are likely a major factor behind this trend." He added, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must proactively discuss visa-related matters with the U.S. to ensure that our citizens wishing to study or engage in economic activities in the U.S. do not suffer any disadvantages, such as visa denials, and to prepare measures to minimize any harm."

Yonhap News