Citing COVID-19, Trump Administration Extends Green Card Ban and Freezes Some Work Visas

(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration said Monday that it became extending a ban on inexperienced cards issued commence air the United States till the tip of the twelve months and in conjunction with many brief work visas to the freeze, in conjunction with those mature heavily by expertise firms and multinational firms.

The administration solid the bother as a mode to disencumber jobs in an economy reeling from the coronavirus. A senior official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity estimated the limitations will unlock to 525,000 jobs for American citizens.

The ban, whereas brief, would quantity to main restructuring of compatible immigration if made permanent, a unbiased that had eluded the administration sooner than the pandemic. Enterprise teams had pressed laborious to limit their reach, saying many of these workers are very vital.

The ban on recent visas applies to H-1B visas, that are mature by main American expertise firms, and their instantaneous families, H-2B visas for nonagricultural seasonal workers, J-1 visas for alternate students and L-1 visas for managers of institution firms.

There would possibly be exemptions for meals processing workers, which possess up about 15% of H-2B visas, the official said. Health care workers assisting with the coronavirus fight will proceed to be spared from the inexperienced-card freeze, though their exemption would possibly be narrower.

Trump imposed a 60-day ban on inexperienced cards issued in a foreign country in April, which became enlighten to bustle out Monday. That announcement, which largely focused household, drew a surprisingly chilly reception from immigration hardliners, who said the president didn’t plug a ways sufficient.

The recent steps to consist of non-immigrant visas fulfill many, nonetheless now not all, the hardliners’ wishes.

The freezes on visas issued in a foreign country are designed to steal imprint straight away. Varied changes, in conjunction with restrictions on work permits for asylum-seekers, will war by a proper rule-making job that takes months.

The administration is proposing a brand recent formula of awarding H-1B visas, that are capped at 85,000 a twelve months and mature by Indian expertise giants as well to firms admire Amazon Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc., the official said. The administration wants to award them by very most lifelike salary as a substitute of by lottery.

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Spagat reported from San Diego.

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