On Wednesday, April 22, 2020 the President issued a proclamation suspending the entry of certain new immigrants for 60 days.
Who is NOT impacted by the proclamation?Nonimmigrant visa holders including F-1 students, J-1 Exchange Visitors, H-1B, TN and O-1 workers are NOT impacted. The proclamation DOES NOT impact F-1 or J-1 Student employment options. The proclamation DOES NOT affect U.S. green card holders, spouses and children of U.S. citizens, and EB-5 investor immigrants all of whom are exempt from the order, which is set to take effect at 11:59pm on April 23, 2020. Applications for permanent residence filed in the U.S. (adjustment of status applications) are also not affected.
Who IS impacted by the proclamation?The proclamation ONLY impacts pending immigrant visa applications (applications for permanent residency) for persons who: were outside the U.S. on the effective date of the proclamation (04/23/2020); and who do not have an approved immigrant visa or some other already issued official travel document (such as an advance parole document).
Can we expect any additional changes related to the proclamation?The proclamation requires that within 30 days, the Secretaries of Labor and Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State review nonimmigrant programs and recommend other appropriate measures to stimulate the U.S. economy and ensure the prioritization, hiring, and employment of United States workers. BIO will continue to monitor this evolving situation and provide additional updates as necessary.