President Trump Signs Executive Order Rescinding Obama Goal to Reduce Waiting Time for Visa Processing
July 3, 2017
Last week President Trump quietly signed an Executive Order which rescinded part of an earlier 2012 Executive Order put in place by President Obama which required the State Department to “ensure that 80 percent of nonimmigrant visa applicants are interviewed within three weeks of receipt of application.” This new Order follows the Trump Administration’s goal of “extreme vetting” of visitors to the U.S.
Last week’s Executive Order directs the Department of State and Homeland Security to develop new implementation plans for visa processing.
What this means to U.S. employers:
We will likely continue to see delays in visa issuance around the world. If you have employees who require visa stamps to return to the U.S., plan for possible delays. If you have employees who have visited or have ties to one of the countries in the travel ban (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen) or other predominantly Muslim countries, and they do not possess a valid visa stamp with which to return to the U.S., it is advisable at this time for them to remain in the U.S. due to the likelihood of substantial or indefinite delay when applying for a new visa stamp.
If you have any questions about this development, please contact the attorney with whom you normally work at Weaver Schlenger.
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