On Wednesday morning, President Donald Trump clarified a controversial tweet made earlier in the week that he would be signing an executive order limiting immigration to the United States. President Trump announced that he will be signing this executive order pausing the issuance of green cards for a period 60 days. At the end of these 60 days, the policy on green card issuances would be revisited. It is not certain yet until the effects of the executive order are in in place, but it is possible that only those outside and inside of the country seeking green cards will be affected and not those who already have their green cards.

The sweeping language on Monday night’s tweet alerted many individuals, but it is unclear until further guidance whether the executive order is the stepping stone to a far-reaching policy change or one that formalizes already a pause on immigration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Until the executive order is in effect, it is not certain whether employment-based immigration will be affected. As of now, there has not been an official mandate on whether or not H-1B visas, L visas, or student visas will be limited.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services field offices in the country are closed until at least May 3 with potential further extensions, routine visa processing for international visitors and workers have been paused, and restrictions are already in place for nonessential travel and refugee admissions. We will monitor the news and will provide updates to our readers.

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