[philipallstar]

> Not every non-citizen doing a job in a foreign country does so illegally

Obviously.

> Like in this case.

I think the contention is that an ESTA is not a suitable visa for this sort of activity. How is what you're saying disproving that?

> What's wrong with foreigners, legally, with visums issued, building factories that then employ locals?

Nothing.

[Kim_Bruning]

ESTA is the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, part of the Visa Waiver program.

Generally trying to get the right papers for something is trying to put the closest shaped peg into the oddly shaped hole.

Having once organized a small team across european borders during Covid, I've learned that it's actually pretty tricky to get papers that 100% correctly match what you need on the ground. Usually there's a bit of give and take needed on all sides to make the world turn.

In this case that process clearly broke down.

[immibis]

An ESTA is not a visa. The USA publicly announces that Korean citizens have the right to enter the USA for up to 90 days for business or tourism. As we're seeing though, the real rule is "don't look foreign".

[philipallstar]

> As we're seeing though, the real rule is "don't look foreign".

This statement is just completely disconnected from the reality of the diversity of the American work force.

[catigula]

This notion that Koreans are the victims of racial grievance politics isn't supported in the data.

[immibis]

Oh why did they arrest a factory of legal immigrant workers then?

[philipallstar]

An ESTA is a travel authorisation, not a right to start a job in the US.

[fch42]

They weren't "starting a job" in the US. Their (foreign) employer sent them onto an assignment abroad (to the US) to do their job. That's the difference here.

Even under ESTA, you can do some such activities - call'em "job" - in the US. On behalf of your non-US employer.

The devil may be in the details, but the assertion these workers were "likely" (or even just "potentially) doing a _US job_ (subject to a Visum qualifying for _US employment_) is definitely misplaced.

[immibis]

Correct, they already had the right to conduct business for 90 days even without an ESTA, because that's what the law says. An ESTA is only needed to physically enter the country.