“Not Even on a Plane ”

While the number of those who look for employment-based immigration to the United States has increased due to the economic depression and the educational benefits for the children, fraud victims are skyrocketing. In particular, there are many cases that these people did not get their seed money back even after the immigration plan did not work out, or got a job at an irrelevant place, different from the initial contract.

Employment-based Immigration is Hard to Get, but Agencies are Sprouting up—

While those who have higher educational attainment and huge assets prefer investment-based immigration, middle-class workers and self-employees in their 30s and early 40s with 200 to 300 million won favor employment-based immigration.

Even though they have to pay the commission fee of 30 to 40 million won, they can benefit from being permanent residents after working for “3D jobs” for one or two years.

Last year, 4.300 people went to the U.S. as employment-based immigrants. In 2000, their number increased up to 8,300, but it has declined steadily since. The employment-based immigration to the U.S. became harder to realize; however, applicants have increased and therefore, the immigration agencies are enjoying a favorable condition.

An associate from A immigration consulting firm said, “Several years ago, only five or six people a month asked for consulting on unskilled immigration to the U.S., but since last year, they have picked up to around 40.”

The number of the agencies has drastically increased since 1999 when the establishment policy of immigration consulting firm changed from the permission to registration system. An employee of B immigration firm mentioned, “Currently, more than 80 agencies are all over Korea, but only 15 out of the 80 firms are operating properly.” He added, “Since the employment-based immigration applicants have relatively low educational attainment and poor English skills, they are likely to become the target of these agencies.”

Terrible Management and Supervision by the Authorities—

Even though the situation is quite bad, the authorities do not have an adequate management and supervisory system to deal with the agencies.

On the morning of May 25, at the office of C immigration consulting firm, located in Kangnam, Seoul. The company did not buy a non-life insurance policy to protect its customers, so the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade suspended its business on April 26. If the company keeps violating the regulation, it is possible to impose a criminal punishment or cancel the business registration; however, the 10 employees of the firm were busy consulting with customers openly.

The majority of the fraud cases are that the agencies recruit much more applicants than the U.S. labor system needs. Mr. A, who applied for the immigration in December 1998, said, “Even though I was granted labor permission in July 1999, I could not immigrate because the agency sold my permission to many other people at a higher price.” He also mentioned that many companies are cheating the applicants by forging a contract as if they gave up the immigration plan.

The problem is that the contract term is vague and advantageous mainly to the agencies. Thirteen people, including Mr. Kim (44), sued the president of D immigration company at the Kangnam Police Station in Seoul, accusing him of getting them a wrong job, different from what he has initially promised (fraud). They claimed that the company signed their U.S. alien labor certification forms without getting their permission.

Park Hwa-seo, professor at Myongji University (immigration studies), pointed out, “If the U.S. starts to investigate the Korean immigrants, not only our international reputation will be ruined but also the victims will not be able to find any relief. It is imperative that we should introduce a business authentication system just like in Australia and Canada, and to set up a separate management and supervisory organization.”