Hong Kong companies should accelerate their expansion into the Middle East, the Asean bloc and Central Asia to reduce their exposure to geopolitical risks, a lawmaker has said, as the US moved to disrupt immigrant-visa appointments worldwide.
Jonathan Lamport, the representative for the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC) in the Legislative Council, said the visa uncertainty reinforced the need for companies to broaden their overseas presence beyond traditional Western markets.
“The business sector cannot put all its eggs in one basket,” he told the South China Morning Post on Wednesday.
“While we will continue to maintain our relationships with traditional markets like the US and Europe, we must also accelerate our strategic expansion into emerging markets such as the Middle East, Asean and Central Asia.”
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations comprises the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and East Timor.
The commercial sector lawmaker said the local business community was closely monitoring whether the disruption would affect the processing and approval of business visas.
The worldwide pause, first reported by the Financial Times, applies to appointments for immigrant visas, which allow recipients to live permanently in the United States, rather than temporary business and tourist visas under separate non-immigrant categories.
But in a reply to the SCMP, the US State Department used broader language, with a spokesman saying “appointments for visa services” would be adjusted as officers underwent training at embassies and consulates worldwide.
The department did not specify whether the scheduling of non-immigrant visa interviews would also be affected.
Most non-immigrant visa applicants, including those seeking temporary business visitor visas, are generally required to attend an in-person interview with a consular officer, with limited exceptions for certain renewals.
“Normal economic and trade exchanges are in the mutual economic interests of both sides,” Lamport said.
“We sincerely hope that regular business activities and people-to-people exchanges can remain smooth and unobstructed during this period.”
Lamport said he believed the HKGCC would contact the US consulate in Hong Kong to seek information on the latest visa processing timelines, allowing companies to make timely adjustments and budget for business trips, exhibitions and contract signings.
The US State Department spokesman said Washington had been updating its guidance and training on assessing whether applicants were likely to become dependent on public benefits.
“In early August, we launched a global training initiative at all of our embassies and consulates worldwide,” he said. “To accommodate this in-depth training, appointments for visa services will be adjusted.”
The department did not disclose how many appointments had been affected in Hong Kong or when normal scheduling would resume. It said embassies and consulates would communicate any changes directly to applicants.
“The Trump administration is protecting the American people by upholding the highest standards of screening and vetting of visa applicants,” the spokesman added.
The disruption comes as US President Donald Trump intensified restrictions on legal and illegal immigration during his second term.
A US federal judge on Friday struck down a separate administration policy suspending immigrant-visa issuance to applicants from 75 countries, ruling that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had exceeded his statutory authority.
The administration had argued that nationals of those countries presented a high risk of becoming dependent on public resources.
Washington this week also proposed making permanent a US$103,265 fee for H-1B visas, which are used by American employers to recruit highly skilled foreign workers.
A federal judge blocked the temporary version of the fee in June, while the administration is appealing that decision.
The State Department has also expanded online-presence reviews across a range of visa categories, requiring applicants including skilled workers, students and exchange visitors to make their social media profiles public.
The HKGCC separately declined to comment on the appointment changes. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
