Current restrictions on work visas

Thousands of foreigners travel to the US annually to work in specialized areas of the local market such as science, technology, research, higher education, inter alia.

They normally hold work visas that allow them to legally reside in the country for a considerable amount of time.

Typically, local businesses or employers must submit a request to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to be able to bring qualified foreign workers.

This is a program that greatly benefits the local market and contributes to the socioeconomic development of the country.

However, the arrival of the global Coronavirus pandemic forced the Trump administration to temporarily suspend the issuance of work visas for specialized foreigners, at least until 2021.

With this, the government intends to protect the jobs of American citizens and reduce the unemployment rate.

Despite the intention of the current administration, the decision to ban work visas sparked several lawsuits against the Trump government.

In fact, multiple recognized companies, such as Apple, Facebook and Amazon, recently released an official statement, supporting a lawsuit against the restrictions on work visas and arguing that important sectors of technology are tremendously affected by this emergency measure.

Finally, after almost two months since the president announced the suspension of work visas, the Trump administration declared that some possibilities are opening for qualified foreigners.

Do you need help with a Business Immigration case? Our immigration law firm can help you.

The Trump administration decides to relax restrictions

The Trump administration, through the Department of State (DOS), announced that H-1B visa holders (skilled workers) have now the authorization to re-enter the US.

There are several conditions for work visa holders to return to the country. Let’s see some of them:

• Skilled workers must already be H-1B visa holders.
• They must return to the same job position they previously had.
• Qualified foreigners must return to the same companies in which they previously worked.
• This relaxation is not available to apply to new job opportunities, even if they are related to a specialized area of the local market.

Thus, this news is positive for thousands of foreign workers holding H-1B visas and who have not been able to return to the US due to current restrictions.

What does this government decision represent?

The Trump administration may not have lifted all the restrictions yet due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the crisis it brought.

However, the fact that the current administration decided to relax some restrictions opens a door of hope for skilled foreign workers and is certainly positive news for local companies that benefit from foreign workforce.

In addition, if the country continues to gradually overcome the current crisis, the local government may decide to continue lifting restrictions on the immigration sector of the US.

That is why we recommend for you to start your immigration process as soon as possible, so that you take advantage of the time you have available and can correctly organize the necessary documentation for your particular case.

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.