PASSPORTS AND VISAS 101

Chicago is America’s third-most-populous city and its metropolitan area, known as Chicagoland, has a population approaching 10 million people.  Chicago is a vibrant international city with a robust economy that is the corporate headquarters for 57 Fortune 1000 companies.  While manufacturing and food processing provide a strong foundation for its economy, the city is also an important financial center and is home to the Chicago Stock Exchange, Chicago Board Options Exchange, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The Chicago metropolitan area covers 14 counties across three states—Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin—and includes cities like Aurora, Naperville, Joliet, Elgin, Waukegan, Cicero, Skokie, Gary (Indiana), and Kenosha (Wisconsin).  Chicago has a growing population of immigrants from Africa, including those from Zambia.  There are a few hundred Zambians in the Chicago area and they have a nonprofit organization—the Zambian Heritage Association of Chicago—that promotes their homeland’s culture and heritage.  For any American people interested in trying Zambian cuisine, the city or Urbana (two hours by car from Chicago) has one of the few Zambian restaurants in the country where diners can enjoy foods such as nshima, gizdodo, goat meat, and various stews.

Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States and is an important global city that attracts visitors from all over the world.  The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area—which includes the District of Columbia and parts of Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia—is America’s sixth-largest metropolis and has a population of 6.3 million people.  Cities within this area (apart from the District of Columbia) include Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, and Reston—all in Virginia—along with the Maryland towns of Bethesda, College Park, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Silver Spring.  The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area has a large population of immigrants from Africa, including a few hundred from Zambia.  Although their population is not huge, it is large enough to host community events and organize a nonprofit group representing the interest of Zambian people in the area (Association of Zambians in D.C., Maryland & Virginia).  As our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. is home to federal agencies like USAID and Peace Corps that have programs in Zambia to help bolster the country’s healthcare, education, and agriculture infrastructure.  There are also dozens of nonprofit groups throughout the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area doing work in Zambia.

Charlotte is the 23rd-most populous city in the United States and is the most populous city in the state of North Carolina.  The Charlotte metropolitan area is a sixteen-county region that stretches into the state of South Carolina and includes the towns of Concord, Gastonia, Huntersville, Kannapolis, Indian Trail, Mooresville, Monroe, Salisbury, Matthews, Statesville, Rock Hill (SC), and Fort Mill (SC).  Known as the Queen City, this metropolis of 2.6 million people has been one of the country’s fastest-growing cities the past two decades.  Charlotte’s youthful population, low cost of living, and geographic location in America’s Sun Belt, have made it an attractive destination for business investment.  This investment has brought steady job growth to the region and is attracting more and more immigrants, including those from Africa.  While the population of Zambians in Charlotte is small, their numbers are still large enough for them to organize social events and celebrations.  Although Zambia is not on the radar as a travel destination for most residents of Charlotte, the state of North Carolina has several top-rated universities that send students and faculty to this southern African nation.  There are also churches and faith-based organizations throughout the state doing work in Zambia.

Atlanta has a population of over 6 million people, making it the 9th most populous metropolitan area in the United States.  Atlanta is the capital of Georgia, which is the 8th most populous of the 50 states.  The city and surrounding area—known as the Atlanta metropolitan area—is also the commercial capital of the Southeast United States and has the third-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the country.  The metropolitan area includes the municipalities of Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Chamblee, Roswell, Alpharetta, Marietta, Duluth, Norcross, Tucker, Lithonia, Decatur, Mableton, Conyers, and others.  Atlanta is an extremely diverse and international city that includes one of the largest Zambian immigrant communities in the country.  There are several hundred Zambians in Atlanta and the city is home to nonprofit groups like the Association of Zambians in Atlanta and Zambians Promoting Leadership in America.  Atlanta-based organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and The Carter Center have been working in Zambia for several years to fight disease and support public health.  Atlanta’s Woodward Academy has a sister school relationship with Terranova School in Zambia and each year sends students and faculty to the school to support various projects. 

A growing number of Americans are choosing to retire to the South American nation of Colombia, drawn by low cost of living, exotic tropical settings, and affordable health care. The safe, secure country stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. The second most bio-diverse country in the world, Colombia offers climates and environments for all tastes. The country contains hip urban cities, cool villages among the three Andes Mountain ranges, warm seaside communities, lush green coffee plantations, two deserts, and 10% of the Amazon’s rainforest area.

Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States and is an important global city that attracts visitors from all over the world.  The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area—which includes the District of Columbia and parts of Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia—is America’s sixth-largest metropolis and has a population of 6.3 million people.  Cities within this area (apart from the District of Columbia) include Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, and Reston—all in Virginia—along with the Maryland towns of Bethesda, College Park, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Silver Spring.  The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area has the third-largest population of Koreans in the United States numbering over 200,000 residents.  The Korean community in Northern Virginia is centered around the town of Annandale, and Ellicott City is the hub for Koreans in Maryland.  There are an estimated 170 Korean-owned businesses in Ellicott City located along ‘Korean Way’, a five-mile stretch of Route 40 that serves as the business district for this immigrant community.  There are 14 schools in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area that teach Korean to school-age children, including several public schools in Fairfax County, Virginia.  The area is also home to over 200 Korean churches.

Portland is the most populous city in the state of Oregon and the second-most populous city in the Pacific Northwest after Seattle.  The Portland metropolitan area has a population of 2.5 million people and is the 25th most populous metropolis in the United States.  The city is located on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, which meet on the northern end of the Willamette Valley.  The valley stretches for 150 miles between forested mountains containing rich farmland and scenic views.  Over 250 agricultural items are produced here, including award winning wines like pinot noir and hops used in the production of craft beer.  There are several thousand Koreans that live in the Portland area and city is home to the Korean Society of Oregon, a nonprofit organization that promotes Korean cultural heritage through community events and educational programs.  The city of Beaverton—one of the main cities that make up the Portland metropolitan—has numerous Korean restaurants, grocery stores, and other specialty stores.  American people interested in learning about Korea can enroll in Korean history and languages courses offered at Portland Community College.  Portland State University and the University of Oregon (in Eugene) also offer Korean language courses.    

Philadelphia is the largest city in the state of Pennsylvania and is one of the oldest cities in the United States.  Founded in 1682 by Englishman William Penn, a social reformer and champion of liberty, he named the city Philadelphia using the Greek term meaning “brotherly love”.  Philadelphia has the nickname “City of Brotherly Love” and is nowadays more casually known by locals and non-locals alike as “Philly”.  The Philadelphia metropolitan area has over 6 million people (America’s eighth-largest metropolis) and includes cities and towns in the states of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, in addition to Pennsylvania.  The area is well known as a center of higher education and has more than 80 postsecondary institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, Temple, Drexel, and Villanova, all of which have a Korean Students Association.  Koreans have been coming to Philadelphia for well over a century as students and as entrepreneurs operating family-owned businesses.  In recent decades, as Korea’s economic strength has gained, Korean corporations have made major investments throughout the state of Pennsylvania.  There are over 40,000 Koreans in Philadelphia and Korean business districts located in Upper Darby, Olney, Cheltenham, and Cherry Hill (New Jersey). 

New York is America’s most-populous city, and its metropolitan area has over 20 million people.  New York City contains the five boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx.  The New York metropolitan area includes New York City, Long Island, and the Mid and Lower Hudson Valley.  It also includes several large cities in New Jersey such as Newark, Edison, Elizabeth, Paterson, Jersey City, and Hoboken, along with several large cities in Connecticut that include New Haven, Bridgeport, and Stamford.  New York is one of the most important economic regions in the world and has the highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the United States. It is also one of the most linguistically diverse cities in the world with over 800 languages spoken in the metropolitan area, including Korean.  There are over 150,000 Korean people living in New York and there are large Koreatowns located in Flushing (Queens) and Fort Lee, New Jersey.  There is also a small Koreatown in Manhattan with several excellent restaurants and Korean chain stores like Caffe Bene, Tous les Jours, and Nature Republic.  The New York area has several community and cultural organizations representing Korean interests, and the city is home to the Korean Society.

South Korea’s working holiday visa program allows young Americans to spend up to 18 months in the “Land of the Morning Calm.” Applicants ages 18 through 30 are eligible for the special visa, which allows them to work temporarily and/or study at a South Korean school.

The H-1 (working holiday) visa allows visitors to enter and re-enter as many times as they wish during the visa period. This allows these visitors to travel to neighboring Asian countries or come back to the United States to visit their families without affecting the visa period.