President’s Executive Order on Immigration
On Wednesday, the President issued an Executive Order seeking to suspend processing of immigrant visas (applying for lawful permanent residence) for certain applicants who are currently outside the United States for sixty days. This applies only to people who have not yet received their visas or entry documents, and who will be entering as new permanent residents. People who are currently lawful permanent residents will still be able to enter the United States. It does not impact applicants already within the U.S., nonimmigrant (temporary) visa holders, individuals with Advance Parole travel authorization, certain Special Immigrants, and many others.
There are many exceptions to the Executive order. Specifically, if you are seeking to be admitted to the United States as the spouse or minor child of a U.S. Citizen, this order does not apply to you. However, if you are coming to the United States as a relative of a permanent resident, or an adult son, daughter, or a parent of a U.S. citizen, the order may cause a delay in your case. It also applies to employment-based immigrant visa applicants who are not healthcare workers or otherwise important for national security.
The Executive Order suspends entry for only 60 days, and there are other exceptions that may apply to your case. If you believe that this executive order may affect you and would like to discuss the matter with an attorney, please contact us.