Summary of the JUNE 22, 2020 Presidential Proclamation Suspending Entry of CERTAIN Immigrants and Nonimmigrants
Authority: Immigration and Nationality Act sections 212(f) and 215(a) and 3 U.S.C. section 301
Effective Date: The Proclamation takes effect on June 24, 2020 at 12:01 AM ET. It will remain in effect through December 31, 2020 and may be continued or modified as necessary.
Background: On June 20, 2020, President Trump has issued a proclamation that suspends the entry of foreign nationals on certain employment-based nonimmigrant visas into the United States. This Proclamation also extends, effective immediately, Presidential Proclamation 10014 issued on April 22, 2020 which suspended the entry of certain immigrants into the United States. A summary of the Presidential Proclamation 10014 can be found below.
The Proclamation suspends the issuance of visas for those seeking entry pursuant to a(n):
•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 will only apply to an individual identified above if they are:
•Outside the United States on the effective date of the Proclamation;
•Do not have a nonimmigrant visa that is valid on the effective date of the Proclamation;and AILA Doc. No. 20062291. (Posted 6/22/20)
• Do not have an official travel document other than a visa (such as a transportation letter, boarding foil, or advance parole document), valid on the effective date of the Proclamation or issued thereafter permitting the individual to be admitted to the United States.
Exemptions: The Proclamation will not apply to the following individuals:
• 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.
For the purposes of determining who is covered under the “national interest” exemption, the Proclamation directs the Secretaries of State, Labor, and Homeland Security to determine standards for those to whom such an exemption would be available, including any 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.
Discretion: The consular officer has discretion to determine if an individual is within one of the exempted categories outlined above.
Asylum Seekers: Asylum seekers are not included in the ban. The Proclamation states that it does not limit the ability of individuals to apply for asylum, refugee status, withholding of removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture.
Fraud: Individuals who circumvent the application of the Proclamation through fraud, willful misrepresentation or illegal entry will be prioritized for removal.
Additional Review: Within 30 days of this Proclamation’s effective date, and every 60 days after, while it and Proclamation 10014 are in effect, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretaries of Labor and State will make a determination as to any need to modify either proclamation.
COVID-19 Prevention: The Secretary of Health and Human Services will provide guidance to the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security concerning measures that will reduce the risk of those seeking admission to the United States introducing or spreading COVID-19 within the country. It is our understanding that this means individuals will be subject to a COVID-19 test before arrival.
Additional Measures:
• Issue regulations or take additional actions to ensure that those who have already been admitted, or are seeking admission, on an EB-2 immigrant visa, EB-3 immigrant visa, or H-1B nonimmigrant visa do not limit opportunity for U.S. workers.
• Undertake investigations of Labor Condition Application (LCA) violations pursuant to INA 212(n)(G)(i).
• Consider issuing regulations or other actions concerning the allocation of visas and ensuring that the presence of H-1B workers in the United States does not negatively affect U.S. workers. We understand that this would include prioritizing the highest paid H-1B workers in the numerical cap.
• Ensure that an individual will not be able to apply for a visa or admission to the United States until they have completed biometrics, including photographs, signatures, and fingerprints; and
• Take steps, consistent with law, to prevent certain individuals who have final orders of removal; who are inadmissible or deportable from the U.S.; have been arrested for, charged with or convicted of a criminal offense, from being able to work in the United States.
USCIS Resumes Premium Processing for Certain Petitions
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that it will resume premium processing for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, in phases over the next month.
Effective June 1, 2020, USCIS will accept Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service for all eligible Form I-140 petitions.
Effective June 8, USCIS will accept premium processing requests for:
H-1B petitions filed before June 8 that are pending adjudication and are cap-exempt (for example, petitions filed by petitioners that are cap-exempt and petitions filed for beneficiaries previously counted toward the numerical allocations).
All other Form I-129 petitions (non H-1B petitions) for nonimmigrant classifications eligible for premium processing filed before June 8 that are pending adjudication.
Effective June 15, USCIS plans on resuming premium processing for:
H-1B petitions requesting premium processing by filing an I-907 concurrently with their I-129 (or request for a petition filed on or after June 8) and are exempt from the cap because:
The employer is cap-exempt or because the beneficiary will be employed at a qualifying cap-exempt institution, entity or organization (such as an institution of higher education, a nonprofit research organization or a governmental research organization); or
The beneficiary is cap-exempt based on a Conrad/IGA waiver under INA section 214(l).
Effective June 22, USCIS plans on resuming premium processing for all other Form I-129 petitions, including:
All H-1B cap-subject petitions (including those for fiscal year 2021), including change of status from F-1 nonimmigrant status, for both premium processing upgrades and concurrently filed I-907s.
All other Form I-129 petitions for nonimmigrant classifications eligible for premium processing and requesting premium processing by filing an I-907 concurrently with their I-129.
All dates are subject to change as USCIS continues to take on more premium processing requests and USCIS will announce any changes to these dates accordingly.
Summary of the April 22, 2020 Proclamation Suspending Entry of Certain Immigrants Following the COVID-19 Outbreak
Authority: Immigration and Nationality Act sections 212(f) and 215(a) and 3 U.S.C. section 301
The proclamation becomes effective on Thursday, April 23, 2020 at 11:59 PM (ET), and suspends the entry of any individual seeking to enter the U.S. as an immigrant who:
Is outside the United States on the effective date of the proclamation;
Does not have a valid immigrant visa on the effective date; and
Does not have a valid official travel document (such as a transportation letter, boarding foil, or advance parole document) on the effective date, or issued on any date thereafter that permits travel to the United States to seek entry or admission.
The following categories are exempted from the proclamation:
Lawful permanent residents (LPR)
Individuals and their spouses or children seeking to enter the U.S. on an immigrant visa as a physician, nurse, or other healthcare professional to perform work essential to combatting, recovering from, or otherwise alleviating the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak (as determined by the Secretaries of State and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), or their respective designees)
Individuals applying for a visa to enter the U.S. pursuant to the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program
Spouses of U.S. citizens
Children of U.S. citizens under the age of 21 and prospective adoptees seeking to enter on an IR-4 or IH-4 visa
Individuals who would further important U.S. law enforcement objectives (as determined by the Secretaries of DHS and State based on the recommendation of the Attorney General (AG), or their respective designees)
Members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their spouses and children
Individuals and their spouses or children eligible for Special Immigrant Visas as an Afghan or Iraqi translator/interpreter or U.S. Government Employee (SI or SQ classification)
Individuals whose entry would be in the national interest (as determined by the Secretaries of State and DHS, or their respective designees).
Discretion. It is within the discretion of the consular officer to determine if an individual is within one of the exempted categories outlined above.
Nonimmigrant visa holders are not included in the proclamation. However, the proclamation requires that within 30 days of the effective date, the Secretaries of Labor and DHS, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall review nonimmigrant programs and recommend to the President other appropriate measures to stimulate the U.S. economy and ensure “the prioritization, hiring and employment” of U.S. workers.
Asylum seekers are not included in the ban. The proclamation states that it does not limit the ability of individuals to apply for asylum, refugee status, withholding of removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture.
Prioritized Removal. Individuals who circumvent the application of this proclamation through fraud, willful misrepresentation or illegal entry will be prioritized for removal.
Expiration. The proclamation expires 60 days from its effective date and may be continued as necessary. Within 50 days from the effective date, the Secretary of DHS shall, in consultation with the Secretaries of State and Labor, recommend whether the President should continue or modify the proclamation.
Severability Clause. If any provision of the proclamation, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of the proclamation shall not be affected.