President Trump Expands US Immigration Restrictions

This week, the Trump administration has introduced a new series of restrictions on temporary work visas in the United States, marking the administration's latest effort to bar the entry of immigrants to the country. The executive move follows the administration's previous order signed in April temporarily suspending the issuance of green cards and work permits for certain categories of immigrant workers outside the U.S.

Information on the new order, and the way it is to be implemented is currently under speculation, and has many asking questions regarding its implications for companies and families of immigrant workers. Below, our firm has broken down the basics of the order in an easy to understand way.

What the order entails

The newly introduced restrictions primarily extend the administration's April order through the end of 2020. The April order originally suspended the issuance of green cards for immigrants outside the U.S. for a period of 60 days. Details on the April order’s application and exceptions can be found in our previous article on this subject, here.

In addition to a time extension, the new order also expands the temporary pause to new work visa categories, those being:

● L-1 visas for intracompany transfers;

● H-1Bs for workers in specialty occupations as well as the H-4 visa for spouses;

● H-2Bs for temporary non-agricultural workers and;

● most J-1 visas for exchange visitors.

Who the order applies to

Like the April order, the latest proclamation only applies to people outside the US. It does not apply to lawful permanent residents, spouses or children of a US citizen, individuals working in the food supply chain and individuals "whose entry would be in the national interest."

When the order takes effect

The new restrictions take effect on June 24, and are set to lapse on December 31, 2020.

At RKF Global PLLC, we are here to help our clients find the best approach to resolving their immigration matters, and we are here to answer any questions. For more information, contact Stefano Rosenberg at (312) 888-2000 or stefano.rosenberg@rkfglobal.com.