The new travel ban will block the entrance to the U.S for citizens of six new countries
One of the most controversial actions done by President Donald Trump has been Executive Order 13780 and Presidential Proclamation 9645, a.k.a. the Travel Ban. This Executive Order issued in 2017 initially prohibited any person from Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen to access all immigrant and certain non-immigrant visas. Besides, individual Venezuelan citizens were also restricted from obtaining a visa. Now due to recent government actions, starting February 22nd, 2020, the list will include six new countries, including Burma, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania. With further restrictions, the administration of President Trump is set to block more than 5% of immigrants.
In contrast with the first ban issued in 2017, the citizens of the second list could still enter the United States as tourists, business travelers, students, exchange visitors, and others with other kinds of temporary visa status. However, the fear and concern about the radical immigration changes could jeopardize US colleges, which usually rely on the tuition income from international students coming from African countries like Nigeria, who would instead choose to study in Canada or Australia. Besides, this situation is a blow for African refugees who wish one day to reunite with their families in the US.
Travel Ban on Iranian citizens
The current statistics of the U.S State Department a drastic impact on Iranian citizens as the visa restrictions under Presidential Proclamations 9645 and 9983, has caused a 78% decrease from the number of visas issued to Iranians in 2018. By September 2019, only 537 immigrant visas were issued for Iranian citizens, a continued drop considering that 12 months before 1449 immigrant visas were issued for Iranian Citizens. Other countries in the first list have also experienced a dramatic decline in 2018, such as Syria and Libya, decreasing by 77% and 80%, respectively.
In the new circumstances, citizens from the six added countries might find it harder to obtain green cards in the United States. Furthermore, the new travel ban will apply to those who haven’t had their green card interview before February 22nd. Therefore, people who have finished their interviews before that date or are approved will be able to enter the US on an immigrant visa. Furthermore, one important consideration to take into account is that if you are in the United States on or before that date, you may be eligible to file the green card application using a standard adjustment of status.
Hire an Immigration Attorney
To file for an adjustment of status, we highly recommend finding an experienced law office with experience in immigration cases. In Sethi & Mezaheri, we have applied and gotten approved more than hundreds of green card petitions, waivers, and other types of adjustment of status. We understand that the new travel ban will face more challenges shortly. Nevertheless, we will always be here to inform and advise each person in a better way to obtain or maintain legal status.
by Prozco®