The President has been warning about these changes for a while now

The Trump government was forced to take emergency measures due to the health crisis caused by the arrival of the Coronavirus in the US.

Many of these measures have been implemented in the immigration sector and the restrictions have increased considerably in recent months.

President Trump has stated on several occasions during the last couple of weeks that he wants to execute new strategies to reduce the number of work visas issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).

Normally, work visas are requested by local companies to be able to hire specialized foreign workers in multiple areas of the American market.

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Why does the President want to ban work visas?

The Trump administration ensures that immigration, whether legal or illegal, is a disadvantage for the US during the current juncture.

The president decided to temporarily ban the issuance of work visas for several reasons:

• The current unemployment rate is the highest in recent decades. Therefore, the jobs currently available should only be offered to the local population.
• Immigrants and foreign skilled workers use social benefits that are essential for legal citizens.
  President Trump ensures that the country should provide local resources only to legal citizens during the health crisis.
• The health system is already saturated, therefore, allowing more people to enter the country could increase the pressure for health workers.
• Local market resources must be safeguarded in the event of an emergency during these times of crisis.

For these and other reasons, the current administration of the US decided to implement new restrictions on foreign workers and employment-based visas.

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The new restrictions for employment-based visas

The White House’ official proclamation orders the temporary suspension of the issuance of work visas, at least until the end of the year.

The order signed by President Trump bans the applications and entry of foreign workers with:

• H-1B visa.
• H-2B Visa.
• J-1 visa.
• Relatives of H-1B Visa holders.
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• Relatives of H-2B Visa holders.
• L Visas.

Therefore, most work visas issued by USCIS will be suspended from June 24, 2020 until the end of the year.

These restrictions will mainly affect sectors such as technology, construction and small and medium-sized local companies that benefit from the work of specialized foreigners.

Exceptions to restrictions

President Trump’s statement declares certain exceptions to the new restrictions on work visas.

Let’s see some of them:

• Foreign workers specialized in the food industry may come to the country without restriction.
• Workers who are a essential for the US food supply chain may apply for work visas.
• Foreign farmers are also exempt from current restrictions.
• Teachers are not included in the restrictions for the J-1 Visa.
• The official order does not affect foreigners who already have a valid work permit and reside in the US.

The results expected by the government

The official statement signed by President Trump estimates that approximately 525,000 jobs will be available to legal citizens with these new restrictions.

Therefore, the current administration of the US hopes to reduce the unemployment rate during the next couple of months and ease the economic crisis caused by the global pandemic.

Do you need help with an immigration case?

Lately, the changes in immigration policies have been sudden and it is important to have the guidance of experts who are up to date with current regulations.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.