Late on Dec. 31, the Trump administration issued a proclamation that has the effect of extending the duration of two proclamations from 2020 that restricted immigrant and non-immigrant visa issuance at U.S. consulates and embassies worldwide. Proclamation 10014 of April 22, 2020, restricted issuance of immigrant visa for 60 days; Proclamation 10052 of June 22, 2020, restricted issuance of certain non-immigrant visas (L-1/L-2, H-1B/H-2B/H-4, certain J-1/J-2 visas) and extended the ban on issuance of immigrant visas until Dec. 31, 2020. As justification for New Year’s Eve proclamation extending the effective date of the earlier proclamations for 90 days, the administration cited the continuing impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. labor market, including the high rate of unemployment in the U.S. The effective date may be extended beyond March 31 if deemed necessary. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has enjoined the implementation of Proclamation 10052 for employers who are members of the Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers,  and the other plaintiff associations. The proclamations may also be rescinded by the incoming Biden administration after it takes office on Jan. 20.

See previous GT blog posts on these proclamations.