Even though President Trump announced Monday that he would suspend immigration through an executive order, Administration officials were still working through the details Tuesday night and the order is expected to be officially signed today. The “ban” is actually expected to be a 60-day halt on certain kinds of “green card” applications and not a complete ban on the flow of individuals.
Read more about the “ban” here, here, and here.
We will provide further details as they become available.
In a late night Tweet Monday, President Trump announced that he would be issuing an executive order suspending immigration to the United States. Details of the executive order, including what counts as “immigration” under this executive order, are not available at this point.
Additional information about the development is available here in The New York Times, the Washington Post, and Politico.
In a letter sent earlier today, higher education associations asked the State Department for further guidance and assistance on the hurdles faced by international students, faculty, and staff at colleges and universities across the nation.
While acknowledging clarity and needed guidance that provided in some areas, the letter also highlights the fact a number of other problems still remain. Read the letter here.
The US Department of State announced the temporary suspension of routine visa services at most overseas posts.
Any country with a travel advisory of 2, 3, or 4 will be affected. Among others, this includes the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Israel, South Korea, Italy, Japan, France, Ukraine, Russia, India, Denmark, Turkey, and Brazil. The Visa Waiver Program, which allows 90 day visas for certain nationalities, remains unaffected.
No timeline has been given. US Embassies and Consulates will continue to provide emergency visa services and American Citizens Services.
Yesterday, a number of higher education associations wrote to both the State Department and Department of Homeland Security asking for clarity on a number of new situations faced by international students and scholars caused by COVID-19. The letter address situations that pertain to, for example, the expiration of F-1 status, possible extension of OPT, and the ability of consulates to adjudicate applications.
The letter is available here.