On the evening of 20 April 2020, President Trump announced plans to impose severe restrictions on immigration, stating on Twitter that: “In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!”
For the first time since his social media post, President Trump has divulged details of the ban, to be implemented by executive order. Speaking at the White House, Mr Trump revealed that the measure would amount to a 60-day suspension, applicable only to individuals seeking to receive Green Cards.
Possession of a “Green Card” gives legal permanent residence to foreign nationals, as well as the opportunity to later apply for United States citizenship.
Consequently, the provisions extend neither to temporary workers nor those seeking to apply for an E-2 Investor Visa and are therefore not as radical as initially suspected.
According to President Trump, the executive order will be open to review at the end of the 60-day period and an extension will be considered in congruence with economic conditions at the time.
The move comes in addition to travel restrictions already imposed on foreign nationals, as countries across the world react to the spread of COVID-19. In March, President Trump suspended travel to the United States from the 26 member states of Europe’s Schengen Area. He then extended the suspension to cover the United Kingdom and Ireland. Entry restrictions were also imposed on citizens of China and Iran.
How does this affect me?
If you are an investor seeking to apply for an E2 Visa, perhaps because you have received second citizenship from Grenada, this temporary suspension will not affect you. The 60-day suspension is set to apply only to Green Card applicants and, as such, will not prevent the Government from processing E-2 Visas (which are not Green Cards).
Please be aware, however, that as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, all routine visa services at United States embassies and consulates worldwide have been temporarily suspended.
It is advisable to remain abreast of developments on the matter given indications made by President Trump that the executive order is open for review.
How can I find out more?
Please contact CS Global Partners for more information, including how citizenship of Grenada can help you obtain an E2 Visa to the United States.
