This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
On June 22, 2020, the Trump administration announced a new executive order suspending visas for certain foreign workers and extending a pause on some green cards until the end of 2020.
The move aims to create jobs for American citizens in the wake of economic turmoil caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the White House.
Approximately 525,000 people, including 170,000 blocked by the decision to extend a ban on new green cards, will be affected by the new order.
The restrictions do not apply to existing visa holders, but will impact H-1B visas, mostly granted to Indian tech workers, as well as most H-2B visas for seasonal workers, including those in the hospitality industry.
Seasonal workers in the agriculture, food processing industry, and healthcare professionals are exempted from the restriction.
J-1 short-term exchange visas, mainly granted to university students and foreign au pairs who provide childcare, are also restricted under the order.
Professors and scholars are not included in the order, and L visas for managers and other key employees of multinational corporations have also been suspended.
Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, praised the move, stating, “this is a bold move by the Trump administration to protect American jobs.”
However, critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, accuse the White House of exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic to tighten up immigration laws.
