Late 2017, the Trump administration revised the visa process to make it easier to deport U.S. residents or deny entry to people visiting the U.S.
The Muslim travel ban now allows the government to deny visa applications from nationals of Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen, all Muslim-majority countries. This includes people who have a “bona fide” relationship with a person or entity in the United States, such as relatives of U.S. citizens or green cardholders. North Korea and Venezuela are also included on this travel ban list.
Additionally, all visa applicants must now state to the letter everything they plan to do in the first three months of their time in the U.S. -- they must have an explicit education plan, work plan or expectation to get married, and say so during their interview with a consular official. If they do something that is not described during the interview and it is discovered, it will be considered “willful misrepresentation” and immigration will have the right to deport that person, deny them entry if they try to return to the U.S., and block any future efforts to renew their visa or change their status.
Most people from Africa, Asia, and especially the SWANA region (South-West Asia, Northern Africa) require visas to travel to the U.S., and these are given at very small amounts each year. And nationals of countries listed on the Muslim travel ban cannot acquire a visa at all.
However, nationals of the 38 countries that qualify for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) will not be affected by these new rules.
For more information on the Travel Ban and the latest Supreme Court's ruling, please click here.
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Immigration law can be complicated and this article does not exhaust all the issues that could arise due to the Trump Ban. These issues can be extremely complex, and a single misstep could potentially lead to a deportation or other immigration penalties. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Yekrangi & Associates online or call (949) 478-4963
Contact Yekrangi & Associates online or call (949) 478-4963 to consult with an immigration attorney today.
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