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September 26, 2017

Sept 24, 2017 - Proclamation: Enhancing Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry Into the United States by Terrorists or Other Public-Safety Threats
On September 24, 2017, President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation entitled Enhancing Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry Into the United States by Terrorists or Other Public-Safety Threats (click here for BIO's detailed summary) . This Proclamation partially or fully restricts entry into the United States for nationals of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen and Somalia. The proclamation contains specific provisions for each impacted country, as summarized below. The new restrictions established by the proclamation take effect October 18, 2017.

August 21, 2017

8/21/17 DOS Suspends Nonimmigrant Visa Operations in Russia

The U.S. diplomatic mission to Russia announced on August 21, 2017, that "Due to the Russian government-imposed cap on U.S. diplomatic personnel in Russia, all nonimmigrant visa operations across Russia will be suspended on August 23. Operations will resume in Moscow on September 1; visa operations at the U.S. consulates will remain suspended indefinitely.

July 14, 2017

7/14/17 - Hawaii District Court Exempts Grandparents and Other Family Members from Travel Ban, New DOS Cable Provides EO Compliance Timeline
On July 13, 2017 the U.S. Federal District Court in Hawaii issued a ruling exempting a new group of close family members from the EO 13780.

June 29, 2017

6/28/17 - Department of State Clarifies Exemptions, DHS & CBP Issue FAQs for Travelers

A June 28 U.S. Department of State cable provides guidance for consular officers regarding implementation of Executive Order 13780 (E.O.) in visa issuance and exemptions from the suspension of entry. Notably, the cable seems to indicate that F-1, J-1, H1-B, TN, O-1, and Permanent Residents would appear to be exempt from the travel ban.

June 26, 2017

6/26/17 - Supreme Court Decision on Executive Order 13780 “Travel Ban.”
On June 26, 2017 The Supreme Court of the United States granted the U.S. government’s request for a stay of the previous lower court preliminary injunctions to the Executive Order 13780 “Travel Ban.” The Supreme Court will hear the final case in October 2017. The current Supreme Court decision upholds the travel ban for nationals or citizens of the 6 designated countries of Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen- but creates an important exception for “foreign nationals who have a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States” which appears to include UC Berkeley students, scholars, and employees.

April 18, 2017

4/18/17 - Executive Order: Buy American and Hire American
President Trump issued an Executive Order titled Buy America and Hire American, of which the "Hire American" provisions call on the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Homeland Security to "propose new rules and issue new guidance", and "suggest reforms to help ensure that H-1B visas are awarded to the most skilled or highest-paid petition beneficiaries." **However, the EO provided no specific changes to any existing regulations, rules and policies.**

March 29, 2017

3/29/2017 - Multiple Preliminary Injunctions Issued for Executive Order Travel Ban

On March 29, 2017, the U.S. District Court in Hawai'i converted its March 15, 2017 temporary restraining order (valid for a maximum of 14 days), into a preliminary injunction, which continues to block enforcement of all of Sections 2 and 6.

March 17, 2017

3/17/17 - Increased Screening of Visa Applicants
On March 17, 2017, the U.S. Dept. of State issued cables to all diplomatic and consular posts providing instructions for increased scrutiny for visa applicants. Individuals subject to these security clearances can expect extremely long visa processing times ranging from 2-6 months or more.

March 6, 2017

3/06/17 - Executive Order: Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States

On March 6, 2017 President Trump issued an Executive Order entitled Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States  scheduled to take effect on March 16, 2017. This Executive Order replaces and revokes the prior Executive Order 13769 which had been issued on January 27, 2017.

March 3, 2017

3/03/17 - Temporary Suspension of H-1B Premium Processing

United States Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS) announced on Friday, March 3, 2017 that it will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H-1B petitions filed with USCIS on or after April 3, 2017. Read BIO's announcement on this change.