The impact of the pandemic on immigration

We are going through a heath crisis that fundamentally transformed the way in which we relate to the environment, our daily lives and multiple sectors of society as we know it.

In an attempt to counter the impact of the global pandemic and the crisis it brought, the current government of the US implemented several sudden emergency measures that are directly related to the country’s immigration sector.

On the one hand, the entry of immigrants was banned for more than two months and some processes are still suspended. With that, we refer to applications for political asylum or refuge, family-based immigration, Green Card applications, the diversity visa lottery, inter alia.

On the other hand, the government also decided to temporarily suspend several non-immigrant permits. For instance: tourist visas, exchange or study programs, investment trips and work visas.

The Trump administration ensures that these restrictions protect local workers, prevent the economic system from possible saturation and protect the health of the American population.

Despite President Trump’s intention to protect local citizens, these government decisions have received multiple criticism in recent weeks.

Green card suspension

The Green Card is a permanent residence permit that immigrants can obtain if they meet certain mandatory requirements. This benefit also allows them to work legally in the US, as long as the authorization is valid.

However, the Trump administration announced in June that the issuance of green cards will be suspended until 2021. This emergency measure aims to reduce job competition during the current juncture and decrease the unemployment rate.

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This measure could be beneficial for immigrants

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offers several options for foreigners to obtain a green card. For instance:

• Green Card for Family Preference Immigrants.
• Green Card for Employment-Based Immigrants.

These two processes to obtain a green card have an annual limit. It means that the USCIS is allowed to issue only a specific number of permanent residence permits annually.

However, what local law states is that, if the number of family green cards does not exceed the annual limit, they may be used the following fiscal year (October-September) for employment green cards.

Therefore, since the issuance of green cards is currently suspended, it is expected that approximately 110,000 permanent residence slots will be available for specialized foreign workers to apply during the following fiscal year.

This is in addition to the limit already set for employment green cards, which is 140,000 annually.

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Despite restrictions, immigration continues its course

It is well known that the Trump administration constantly tries to reduce legal immigration. Also, it has the purpose of eradicating illegal immigration.

However, we are witnessing how immigration services are gradually returning to normal and established processes continue their regular course.

Therefore, it is the right time for you to start your immigration process. You can still build the future you have always wanted in the US.

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.