An executive order signed by President Donald Trump will disallow new visas for foreign workers until the 2020 year is complete. The move has triggered anger in advocates for immigrants who say that the president is hindering their ability to work in America for political reasons. The Trump Administration says that the move will free up more than half a million jobs for American workers and provide needed protection to the U.S. economy.
Groups interested in employment immigration like the American Immigration Council say that Trump’s pandering to his political base could hamper the efforts of the country to recover from the coronavirus epidemic. The executive director of the council pointed out that immigrant labor is needed in all industries to fuel a successful rebuilding effort.
The latest move on the part of President Trump comes on the heels of an April decision to suspend the issuance of green cards for 60 days. The new executive order extends this green card ban until the end of the year in addition to adding work visa restrictions.
The visas affected by the freeze include H-1B visas issued to high-skilled workers, H-2B visas issued to seasonal workers, H-4 visas issued to spouses of H-1B visa holders, L-1 visas issued to executives working for major organizations, and J-1 visas issued to professors and other academic scholars.
The complexity and constantly changing nature of the U.S. immigration system often makes it difficult for immigrants to stay abreast of what is expected of them from the process. It may be a good idea to secure the services of an experienced immigration attorney to guard against a person being uprooted from their home due to a technicality or procedure of which they were unaware.
