U.S. Offered Korea Visa Concessions To Cement Supplemental FTA Deal

In order to secure changes to the original U.S.-Korea free trade agreement, U.S. negotiators agreed to extend the validity period of certain visas for Korean professionals entering the U.S. on intra-company transfers, and also agreed to other concessions on patents and pork market access, sources said. There are no caps on these so-called L-visas, and the Obama administration will be able to enact these changes to the L-visa program for Korean nationals without legislation. However, observers were surprised that the...