Samsung, SK hynix cut ESTA trips to U.S. after mass detentions in Georgia

Following the detention of 475 workers at a joint battery plant of LG Energy Solution and Hyundai Motor Group in Georgia, major Korean conglomerates like Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are enacting stringent protocols for corporate travel to the United States.

The crackdown has cast a shadow over multibillion-dollar projects underway across the United States, raising concerns over labor pipeline disruptions and potential delays to operations.

SK hynix, Korea’s major chipmaker, recently sent an internal directive to employees that was shared with the Korea JoongAng Daily on condition of anonymity, announcing a cap on business trips to the United States under the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program at a maximum of two weeks, mandating a one-month interval between consecutive visits.

The notice also contained a standardized manual for U.S. immigration interviews, where staff are instructed to state that their visit is for short-term business meetings or site inspections, and they have confirmed round-trip itineraries. When asked about planned activities, employees are advised to respond that they will attend “meetings and training sessions only.”

Samsung Electronics issued similar guidance, particularly within its Device Solutions (DS) division, restricting ESTA-based travel to U.S. manufacturing facilities. The notice said the measure will remain in place until U.S. immigration authorities conclude their investigation.

Travel to sales offices, client meetings, conferences and academic events remains permitted under existing rules, provided trips do not exceed two weeks.

Samsung’s DS division, which recently secured a contract with Tesla, frequently dispatches personnel to its soon-to-launch chip foundry in Taylor, Texas, making it particularly exposed to tightened visa scrutiny.

 

Hyundai imposed a one-week limit on ESTA-based travel starting September 7, urging early returns for nonessential travelers and canceling most trips. The company has since escalated its measures, advising staff to reassess all travel plans through a stricter compliance lens.

Even activities previously covered under long-term visas may now require new visa issuance if deemed sensitive under U.S. immigration standards. Hyundai Mobis, the auto parts arm of the Hyundai group, had similarly halted all U.S.-bound travel and instructed personnel currently in the United States to return to Korea.

LG Group, including LG Energy Solution — most directly impacted by the recent immigration detention — along with other LG affiliates like LG Electronics, has imposed a blanket suspension on U.S. travel under the ESTA program.

The sweeping travel restrictions come after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested and detained 475 individuals, including 317 Korean nationals, at the Georgia manufacturing site on September 4, citing immigration violations. Of them, 170 Koreans were traveling under ESTA, while 146 were on B1 business or B2 tourist visas. One held a valid Employment Authorization Document but was also detained, according to data from Democratic Party Rep. Han Jeoung-ae’s office shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For years, Korean companies have routinely relied on the U.S. ESTA program for short-term business travel — a practice that had become an industry norm, especially for periods when plants are in final preps to open.

However, the ESTA, B1 and B2 visas legally permit only nonproductive activities such as attending meetings, conferences or site inspections. Employment or any activity deemed economically contributive remains prohibited under U.S. immigration law. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the full responsibility for the recent detentions is on Korean firms, arguing that they must “get the right visa” and “don’t do it the wrong way” during an interview with Axios on September 11.

Korean companies that have already committed investments in the billions of dollars to U.S. manufacturing projects are now facing significant operational headwinds following the recent mass detentions.

Hyundai CEO José Muñoz said that construction at the company’s $4.3 billion joint battery plant with LG Energy Solution in Georgia will be delayed by “a minimum of two to three months” in a recent interview with Bloomberg.

The Georgia facility is just one of several major Korean investments currently underway. Hyundai, in partnership with SK On, is investing $5 billion in another battery plant in Bartow County, Georgia. Samsung Electronics is constructing a $37 billion foundry in Texas to supply Tesla, while SK hynix is building a $3.87 billion semiconductor packaging plant in Indiana. Hanwha Q Cells is constructing a $2.3 billion solar module factory in Georgia.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]