On June 22, 2020, President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation restricting foreign nationals from entering the United States on certain temporary work visas. Just two months earlier, on April 22, 2020, the administration temporarily suspended the entry of most foreign nationals seeking to enter the United States as Lawful Permanent Residents (also known as Green Card holders). The articulated reason for both directives is to protect U.S. workers from job competition during the economic recovery related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who is Restricted?
The Executive Order ...
On May 29, 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced the phased resumption of Premium Processing. Premium Processing allows employers to obtain expedited decisions on certain immigration filings by paying an additional $1,440.00 fee. Because USCIS can take months to process petitions, Premium Processing is heavily utilized by many employers to avoid delays in employing specialized foreign national workers. USCIS suspended Premium Processing in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Effective June 1, 2020, USCIS began accepting Premium ...