The Donald Trump administration has come up with a host of immigration rules in the past week in the aftermath of the DC shooting. While restricting illegal aliens has been in the works, the DC shooter suspect’s Afghan origin pushed the administration to announce a host of new measures.
Travel ban on around 30 countries
Earlier this year, the Donald Trump administration published a list of 19 countries with a full and partial travel ban. Afghanistan, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen are on the list of the full travel ban. Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela are on the list of the partial travel ban.
After the DC shooting, the list will be expanded to over 30 countries, Department of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem has confirmed. The new list has not yet been disclosed. Who are to be affected: People from these countries looking to visit the US are to be affected.
Social media vetting of H-1B, H-4 from December 15
This was announced before that the immigration officials will now check the social media handles of H-1B applicants and their spouses who apply for H-4 visas but the US State Department announced Wednesday that this would be applicable for December 15. All applicants have been asked to make their social media profiles public so that consular officers can go through their posts and information. Who are to be affected: H-1B visa applicants and their spouses, mostly from India and China, are to be affected.
Work permit validity reduced from 5 years to 18 months
The Trump administration reduced the work permit for certain immigrants from five years to 18 months. This means these immigrants will be vetted again for the renewal of their work permits. Who are to be affected
- Refugees
- Immigrants granted asylum
- Aliens granted withholding of deportation or removal
- Aliens with pending applications for asylum or withholding of removal
- Aliens with pending applications for adjustment of status under INA 245
- Aliens with pending applications for suspension of deportation, cancellation of removal, or relief under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act.
This does not impact H-1Bs as they don’t work in the US on work permit and they are spcialty workers.
Green Card and immigration freeze
All immigration requests, including visitors’ visa, students’ visa, asylum application, are now frozen from the same 19 countries that are on the travel ban list. This decision was taken after DC shooting. Who are to be affected: People from the 19 countries on the travel ban list.
Asylum applications on hold
The administration has also put all pending asylum applications on hold for the time being. Who are to be affected: All asylum applicants from any country whose application is pending.
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