Freeze on foreign-issued green cards goes to end of the year.
President Trump signed an executive order earlier this week that bans green cards issued outside the United States until the end of the year. Many temporary work visas are also being added to the freeze, including those used heavily by technology companies and multinational corporations.
In April, the president had placed a temporary 60-day ban on the issuance of green cards by an executive order because of the diminished economy due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Extending the freeze is seen as a way to free up jobs in an economy still reeling from COVID-19 lockdowns. Estimated restrictions will free up to 525,000 jobs for Americans.
The ban, while temporary, would amount to a major restructuring of legal immigration if made permanent, a goal that had eluded the administration before the pandemic. The ban applies to new H-1B visas, which are used by major American technology companies and their immediate families. H-2BN visas for nonagricultural seasonal workers, J-1 visas for exchange students and L-1 visas for managers of multinational corporations are also under the ban.
Freezes on visas issued abroad are designed to take effect immediately. Other changes, including restrictions on work permits for asylum seekers, will go through a formal rule-making process that takes months.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, President Trump, and his aides as they seek to promote Americans’ employment.
- For the economic recovery of the U.S. as the nation reopens.
- For those working on immigration reform.
Sources: New York Times, Newsmax, The Hill
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