This post was updated on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 to reflect the major announcements from the Trump administration's April 21 press briefing.
UPDATE: In yesterday's press briefing, President Trump seemed to conclude that he will suspend immigrant visa processing (i.e. applying for an immigrant visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad in order to enter the U.S. as a Lawful Permanent Resident once approved) for 60 days. For context, this restriction has already been in place since March 20, 2020. Envoy and GIA are waiting for the exact details of the executive order, and will provide updates as they become available.
President Donald Trump announced on Monday plans to sign an executive order that would temporarily suspend immigration into the U.S. during the Covid-19 pandemic.
What happened?
President Donald Trump announced in a tweet on Monday night that he plans to sign an executive order temporarily suspending immigration into the U.S. to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and protect U.S. jobs amid growing unemployment.
The president has yet to announce the details of the executive order, including which immigrant and nonimmigrant visas will be impacted and how the suspension will be enforced. The order reportedly contains exceptions for agricultural and healthcare workers, but further exemptions have not been revealed.
Who does this impact?
The exact details of the order remain unclear. From the wording of the tweet, it appears that this could impact visa processing outside the U.S. at U.S. Embassies or consulates abroad; however, we are still awaiting confirmation.
What do I need to do next?
The Trump administration has yet to announce when such an order might go into effect. While we do not have many details at this time, Global Immigration Associates Managing Partner Sara Herbek says that the likelihood that this executive order is challenged in the courts is high.
With travel bans already in place and U.S. consulates and embassies currently not providing immigration services, employment-based immigration into the U.S. has already been largely suspended.
How are GIA and Envoy responding?
Envoy and GIA will continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide updates as they become available. Envoy customers should reach out via the Communication Center with any questions related to this update.
Envoy is pleased to provide you this information, which was prepared in collaboration with Sara Herbek, who is the Managing Partner at Global Immigration Associates, P.C. (www.giafirm.com), Envoy's affiliated law firm.
April 21, 2020
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