The White House has extended the freeze on the issuance of “green cards” for new immigrants and suspended range of work visas for foreigners, including all H-1B and H-4 (for H-1B spouses) till the end of 2020 in order to protect jobs of American citizens lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump had initially suspended the issuance of the visas for three months but now has extended it till the end of the current year.
Trump said in a statement “We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens,” The entry of additional workers through the H-1B, H-2B, J, and L nonimmigrant visa programs, therefore, presents a significant threat to employment opportunities for Americans affected by the extraordinary economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak”
According to the White House, the visa suspension will not affect those already in the US on the visas while the Optional Practical Training (OPT) that most foreign students are eligible for after they graduate in the US also remains unaffected. Those visa holders who are outside the US will not be able to return to the US.
According to a senior administration official, the measures decreed through an executive order by President Trump would be temporary till December 31 and would free up 525,000 jobs for American workers.
According to the official, the new reforms proposed by Trump will ensure that jobs go to those who are paid the highest wages and ‘America gets the best and brightest talent’, the official added.