On April 22, 2020, President Trump issued his “Proclamation” which suspended immigrant visas for those who were not in the United States at the time amongst other conditions and limitations. As part of that Proclamation, Trump also directed the Secretaries of State, Labor, and Homeland Security to discuss whether to modify or continue the Proclamation within 50 days of its effective date. That date is Friday, June 12, 2020.
Until an actual message comes from Trump, everything is up for speculation; however, it is expected that Trump will continue to extend the bar for permanent residency while also imposing new restrictions on nonimmigrant visas such as H-1B and L-1 visas using the COVID-19 pandemic and high unemployment for his justification. Based on the last proclamation, the window to avoid the effects of it will be very narrow, as it usually takes effect within 24 hours of issuance. As such, we urge all of our clients who are on a nonimmigrant visa to immediately return to the US, and we will continue to follow this issue closely. If Trump does indeed issue an extension or new proclamation, we will analyze it as soon as it comes out and let our clients know of its contents.
Please continue to follow Paturi Law for the latest developments at www.mpaturilaw.com, on Facebook at Paturi Law, or feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.