On June 22, 2020, President Trump issued a proclamation suspending the issuance of certain employment-based temporary visas to the United States. The Proclamation also extended the President’s April 22, 2020 order, which suspended the entry of certain immigrants outside of the United States.
The visas affected by the June 22, 2020 order are:
- H-1B visa and any foreign national accompanying or following to join them;
- H-2B visa and any foreign national accompanying or following to join them;
- J visa, to the extent the foreign national is participating in an intern, trainee, teacher, camp counselor, au pair, or summer work travel program, and any foreign national accompanying or following to join them; and
- L visa, and any foreign national accompanying or following to join them.
The Proclamation only applies to individuals who are outside of the United States and do not already have a valid visa or travel document.
The Proclamation also includes several exceptions. These include:
- lawful permanent residents;
- spouse or child of a U.S. citizen;
- any individual seeking entry to provide temporary labor essential to the U.S. food supply chain;
- any individual whose entry would be in the national interest as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their respective designees. Examples include individuals who:
- are critical to the defense, law enforcement, diplomacy, or national security of the United States;
- are involved with the provision of medical care to individuals who have contracted COVID-19 and are currently hospitalized;
- are involved with the provision of medical research at U.S. facilities to help the United States combat COVID-19;
- are necessary to facilitate the immediate and continued economic recovery of the United States; or
- are children who would age out of eligibility for a visa because of this proclamation or Proclamation 10014.
To find out if you are affected by the June 22, 2020 proclamation, contact our office today.