Following President Trump’s tweet to temporary suspend immigration to the U.S., the Whitehouse issued a proclamation suspending entry of immigrants into the United States for a period of 60 days (which may be extended). The proclamation is effective at 11:59 p.m. eastern daylight time on April 23, 2020. This suspension is narrower than initially thought and only applies to those who are outside the United States on the effective date of this proclamation and do not have an immigrant visa or travel document that is valid on the effective date of this proclamation.
In addition to its narrow scope, the proclamation contains several exceptions. The suspension of entry to the U.S. does not apply to numerous categories including but not limited to:
- green card holders who happen to be outside the U.S. on the effective date of the proclamation
- spouses and children (under 21) of U.S. citizens
- Immigrant visa applicants who are seeking to enter the U.S. as a physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals
- EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program visa applicants
If you are in the U.S. and seeking to become a legal permanent resident (i.e. applying for a green card), the 60-day suspension does not apply to you. Also, the suspension does not apply to those who seek non-immigrant visas to the U.S. (for example student (F-1) and visitor (B-1/B-2) visas).
It is worth noting that immigration is effectively on hold with USCIS offices closed to the public and visa processing at embassies and consulates on pause.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Pars Equality Center’s Immigration Services:
408-261-6405 (San Jose Office) / 818-325-7551 (Los Angeles Office)
[email protected] / [email protected].