US President Donald Trump extends immigrant, work visa restrictions until March

Washington [US]: US President Donald Trump on Thursday prolonged an order suspending the issuance of sure sorts of work visas for one more three months as a result of raging coronavirus pandemic.
“The effects of COVID-19 on the United States labour market and on the health of American communities is a matter of ongoing national concern,” Trump wrote in Thursday’s proclamation, which cited the unemployment price, pandemic-related restrictions on companies issued by states and the rise in coronavirus infections since June.
The restrictions additionally halt a number of short-term visas utilized by folks overseas to work within the US, together with the H-1B program that’s well-liked within the tech sector and H-2B visas for non-agricultural seasonal staff. Cultural trade J-1 visas for Au Pairs and different short-term staff; visas for spouses of H-1B and H-2B holders; and L visas for firms to relocate staff to the US will proceed to be suspended as properly.

“This proclamation shall expire on March 31, 2021, and may be continued as necessary. Within 15 days of December 31, 2020, and every 30 days thereafter while this proclamation is in effect, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Labor, recommend any modifications as may be necessary,” Trump added.
According to The Hill, Trump confronted stress from some corners to increase the order into 2021, with sure allies noting the financial system has but to completely get better from the pandemic.
“If this proclamation was allowed to lapse, then companies could easily return to exploiting cheap foreign labour,” mentioned RJ Hauman, head of presidency relations on the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which had advocated for an extension of the restrictions, as quoted by The Hill.

“If President-elect Biden quickly rescinds, the country should take note — he doesn’t stand with American workers,” Hauman added. However, there have been no feedback made by the Biden group.
“The president-elect has vowed to undo many of Trump’s immigration policies, but if the economy continues to struggle he may be less inclined to allow more foreign workers to join the U.S. labour force when millions of Americans are still unemployed,” The Hill reported.
Trump earlier launched a video the place he mentioned that “our economy is growing at the most rapid rate ever recorded.”