Embassy Aggravation VV some Good NEWS

                                                    Embassy Aggravation VV some Good NEWS 

                                          Trump’s Executive Order has Expired on April 1, 2021 

                                       But will you now be able to get your #L1 visa from the embassy? 

            Probably not…WE are all aggravated and exhausted from the automated messages

“The United States Embassy is cancelling routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments. At this time your visa appointment is cancelled. We will resume routine visa services as soon as possible but are unable to provide a specific date at this time.”

Good News – April 1st, 2021 we saw the expiration of Orders that restricted work visas to the USA – this order applied to certain H1B, H-4, H2B, L-1, L-2, and J-1 visa applicants. –  “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the US Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak was introduced on June 22, 2020 and expired last week – April 1, 2021, just under a year later.

The USCIS can now process all the above non-immigrant working visas including inter country transfers, seasonal visas and training visas to the USA.

With many US companies laying off staff, over Covid lock-downs, the unemployment rate in the United States reached an all time high of 14.80 percent in April of 2020. The restrictions were imposed while international travel restrictions did not permit travel to the US from  many countries as well as the local Embassies were closed.

The order claimed that allowing temporary workers into the country during such high unemployment rates during the pandemic of Covid-19 crisis could affect the chances of the millions of unemployed, finding new jobs in recent months.

Under ordinary circumstances, properly administered temporary worker programs can provide benefits to the economy. But under the extraordinary circumstances of the economic contraction resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak, certain non-immigrant visa programs authorizing such employment pose an unusual threat to the employment of American workers…Between February and April of 2020, more than 17 million United States jobs were lost in industries in which employers are seeking to fill worker positions tied to H-2B non-immigrant visas. During this same period, more than 20 million United States workers lost their jobs in key industries where employers are currently requesting H-1B and L workers to fill positions…The entry of additional workers through the H-1B, H-2B, J, and L non-immigrant visa programs, therefore, presents a significant threat to employment opportunities for Americans affected by the extraordinary economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The order did not affect those who were already in the US on H-1B or an L1 visa or those who were outside the country but already had valid visas. It also provides for exemptions for health-care workers as well as those who work in the food supply chain.

A US non immigrant work visa will be processed by the USCIS and upon approval, the actual stamp ( or otherwise known as visa) will be granted by the Embassy – so what do we do when 90% of the Embassies are still closed? This is the situation right now. The Embassies are still 90% closed and working on a very short schedule. 

US Embassy repeats – “The resumption of routine visa services, prioritized after services to U.S. citizens, will occur on a post-by-post basis, consistent with the Department’s guidance for safely returning our workforce to Department facilities.  U.S. Embassies and Consulates have continued to provide emergency and mission-critical visa services since March 2020 and will continue to do so as they are able.  As post-specific conditions improve, our missions will begin providing additional services, culminating eventually in a complete resumption of routine visa services.”

We are waiting for Embassies to resume appointments and will update you with news soon.  #drsilaw

www.drsi-law.com

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