US work visa ban lifted by Biden

Joe Biden has lifted the controversial US work visa ban imposed under the Trump administration. The 46th US President said: “It does not advance the interests of the United States.” Trump ordered a ban on US employment-based visas (green cards) shortly after the coronavirus outbreak, on the grounds that it would protect the American workforce.

Amid widespread job losses across the US, which exceeded 40 million, Trump deemed immigrant workers as a ‘risk to the US labor market’, and blocked their entry into the US under proclamation 10014 and proclamation 10052.

Prior to leaving office in January 2021, Trump had extended the US work visa ban until March 31, after initially ordering a ban until the end of 2020. However, in a proclamation issued by Biden on February 24, he said: “Shutting the door on legal immigrants does not advance United States interests.”

Harming industry

The US President added: “To the contrary, it harms the United States, including by preventing certain family members of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents from joining their families here. It also harms industries in the United States that utilize talent from around the world.”

The ban had far reaching consequences, not only on immigrants, but also United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which was on the brink of collapse after revenues from US visa applications dried up.

Meanwhile, according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), an estimated 120,000 family-based preference visas were lost, attributed mainly to the pandemic-related freeze in the 2020 budget year. 

Immigrants were not allowed to bring family members with them unless they were US citizens applying for visas on behalf of their spouses or children under the age of 21. Employment-based visa applicants were also denied entry, unless their profession was considered to be beneficial to the national interest, such as health professionals.

Visa lottery winners were also refused entry, denying them green cards that would allow them to live permanently in the US.

Huge visa backlogs

The visa ban has contributed to a backlog of 437,000 applications for family-based visas alone.

Toward the end of 2020, a federal judge ruled that temporary foreign workers could enter the country if their employers are members of the US Chamber of Commerce or several other large organizations that represent much of the US economy. The ruling effectively lifted proclamation 10052.

However, proclamation 10014 continued to block thousands of immigrants from entering the US.

The Biden administration had remained silent on the ban, which surprised many, given that the President had lifted a Trump travel ban imposed on several Muslim-majority nations.

Diversity visa lottery order

The lifting of the US visa ban comes just days after diversity visa lottery winners won a legal challenge to extend their visas amid fears that they would expire prior to the green card ban being lifted. As a result of Biden lifting the work visa ban, they will now be able to enter the US on their visa.

In addition to lifting the ban, Biden has proposed legislation that would limit presidential authority to issue future bans against immigrants.

However, the President has not disclosed any details on whether there will be any redress for US visa lottery winners who were disadvantaged by the Trump-era pandemic policies. But he has called for the US to increase the number of diversity visas made available by the lottery from 55,000 to 85,000

Workpermit.com can help with US employment-based visas

If you would like to apply for a US work visa – including L1 visas, E2 visas, O1 visas and H1B visas - Workpermit.com can help. 

Workpermit.com is a specialist visa services firm with over thirty years of experience dealing with visa applications. We can help with a wide range of visa applications to your country of choice. Contact us for further details. You can also telephone 0344 991 9222.