January 27, 2017
***Travel Advisory***
DRAFT EXECUTIVE ORDER RELATED TO VISA ISSUANCE AND REFUGEES
A draft Executive Order titled “Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Attacks by Foreign Nationals” has recently been released to the public. This draft Order, although not yet signed by President Trump, relates to visa issuance restrictions and additional screening processes for individuals from certain nations, including Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Individuals from these countries are advised to avoid international travel at this time if at all possible.
This travel advisory pertains to all individuals from these countries, including those who have obtained U.S. citizenship.
The Order calls for a 30-day halt to all travelers from the above-named countries seeking entry to the U.S. All immigrant and nonimmigrant nationals from these countries would not be permitted to enter the U.S. or be issued a visa for at least 30 days. Adjudications of other immigration benefits could also be negatively impacted by this Order. Please be aware that additional countries may be added to this list.
Additionally, the Order mandates a suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, with the exception of those fleeing from religious persecution. This would halt the admission and resettlement of all refugees for at least 120 days. Refugee admission and resettlement for Syrian nationals would be stopped indefinitely. Refugee admission number targets would also be reduced from 110,000 to 50,000 for fiscal year 2017.
To best serve our clients, we will continue to monitor these developments closely and provide additional information once it is available. If you have any questions regarding the draft Order, please feel free to contact our office.