The President’s order to suspend immigration to US, explained

trump tweet

By Dev B. Viswanath, Esq.

 

In this era of Covid-19 and the aftermath of the pandemic, with hardship to the economy, on families, to the mental state, we now have one more level to consider: Immigration. President Donald Trump announced on Monday night via Twitter that he would temporarily suspend immigration into the United States.  This declaration by our Commander in Chief threw many intending immigrants, short term visa holders, hopeful citizens, and families of those intending immigrants, into a frenzy of uncertainty. Cell phone service providers and wifi/internet service in heavily immigrant areas found themselves extremely slowed down because of all the questions being asked and people surfing the net for answers to their questions. And while we still don’t have concrete answers, we do have some insight into what is happening and next week and over the next few weeks we will continue to develop this issue and provide clarity.

First off, the President has said that the suspension will be for a period of 60 days only, and at that time or a little before they will re-assess as to any possible extensions. Furthermore, the President has said that this order will only pertain to green cards/permanent residents.  It does not pertain to visitor visas, H1Bs, L1 visas or F1 or M1 students. Also, this suspension is for the final stage and issuance of green cards, so I-130 and I-140 petitions CAN STILL BE FILED & ADJUDICATED. People should not be discouraged or feel that they are stuck because of the President’s imminent Executive Order.

Moreover, all of this must be taken with a grain of salt and understood through the lens of our current situation.  Remember, all consular posts and embassies have suspended visa processing except for emergency circumstances and some limited other areas, and the earliest that this attorney has heard for a slow resumption in visa processing is the first week of June, which is already about 40-45 days away. Moreover, USCIS has closed all local field and district offices for interviews, ceremonies, and all biometrics centers with no suggestion as to when that may restart again, so that is already an issue we have been dealing with. ICE offices have suspended reporting services for people through April 30th or until such advice is given. And finally, US Immigration Courts have suspended all non-detained removal proceedings until further notice.  All of these factors must be considered when speculating on the effect of the President’s Order.

If you or a loved one is questioning the future or would like to learn more about options available, please do contact an immigration attorney to find out more.

Image courtesy of thesatimes |

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