Official Executive Order for Suspending Entry of Immigrants

[JBF 116]

10 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

@JBF

 

Future military spouses are not exempt from the travel restrictions..........However, K-1s are exempt from the current EO regarding immigration.  I'm not sure your situation is, in fact, an emergency.  In addition, I don't think any visas are being issued right now.

Thank you for answering my post that indeed is about the travel ban and not really about the EO. However, I don’t understand why the Consulate stated that they are unable to issue visas because of the Presidential Proclamation about the travel ban. If it’s a travel ban, it should be about traveling and not about the issuance of visas. I’ve tried to read the Proclamation as well, and from what I saw it doesn’t state that it prevents the issuance of visas, but only the entry of immigrants and non-immigrants that were, in the last 14 days, in the subject areas (in my case, Schengen area). The consulate states they’re currently giving the possibility to have only urgent appointments.
Does anyone have any ideas on this? 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/Presidential-Proclamation-Coronavirus.html

Edited April 27, 2020 by JBF

[payxibka 10,045]

3 minutes ago, JBF said:

Thank you for answering my post that indeed is about the travel ban and not really about the EO. However, I don’t understand why the Consulate stated that they are unable to issue visas because of the Presidential Proclamation about the travel ban. If it’s a travel ban, it should be about traveling and not about the issuance of visas. I’ve tried to read the Proclamation as well, and from what I saw it doesn’t state that it prevents the issuance of visas, but only the entry of immigrants and non-immigrants that were, in the last 14 days, in the subject areas (in my case, Schengen area). The consulate states they’re currently giving the possibility to have only urgent appointments.
Does anyone have any ideas on this? 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/Presidential-Proclamation-Coronavirus.html

Since most visas have a short validity period,  it is counterproductive to issue visas that cannot be used

[Raizee 93]

On 4/24/2020 at 5:22 PM, Kay & Evan said:

I asked them if the K1 is excluded from the executive order and they responded that due to the travel ban I cannot travel to the US. Then I responded with a link to the executive order signed Wednesday and said “My question is for when the travel ban is lifted. Is the immigration to the US with the K1 visa banned in the below executive order? It is not clear to me“ To which they responded “K1 visas are included in the exeptions for the new Presidential Proclamation, so we will be able to issue K1 visas.” 
then I told them that I do have a K1 at hand and if they mean I can use it to travel once the ban is lifted and they haven’t responded so far. 

I am Greek so I also emailed the consulate in Athens saying that I have a valid K1 at hand and want to know if I can travel once travel ban is lifted and they responded just now with the below:

“

Thank you for your April 23, 2020 e-mail.  We would like to inform  you that on April 22, President Trump signed a proclamation suspending entry into the United States of certain immigrants who present risk to the U.S. labor market during the economic recovery following the COVID-19 outbreak.  The proclamation is effective at 11:59 p.m. EDT on April 23 and expires in 60 days, unless continued by the President.  U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and those holding valid immigrant visas on the effective date of the Proclamation, are not subject to the proclamation.  No valid visas will be revoked under this Proclamation.  Routine visas services have been suspended at U.S. posts worldwide, but as resources allow, embassies and consulates will continue to provide emergency and mission critical visa services for applicants who are not subject to this presidential proclamation. The full text of the presidential proclamation is available on the White House website at:  https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-suspending-entry-immigrants-present-risk-u-s-labor-market-economic-recovery-following-covid-19-outbreak/

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/Proclamation-Suspending-Entry-of-Immigrants-Who-Present-Risk-to-the-US-labor-market.html#ExternalPopup ”

I asked the same question here US embassy in Dubai and they sent me exactly 100% same email  which is an answer with no answer actually. 

[Raizee 93]

1 minute ago, JBF said:

Were you able to actually do something about it? 
 

Not yet, actually the email came just minutes before, its like this:

 

Dear Applicant,

On April 22, President Trump signed a proclamation suspending entry into the United States of certain immigrants who present risk to the U.S. labor market during the economic recovery following the COVID-19 outbreak. The proclamation is effective at 11:59 p.m. EDT on April 23 and expires in 60 days, unless continued by the President. U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and those holding valid immigrant visas on the effective date of the Proclamation, are not subject to the proclamation. No valid visas will be revoked under this Proclamation. Routine visas services have been suspended at U.S. posts worldwide, but as resources allow, embassies and consulates will continue to provide emergency and mission critical visa services for applicants who are not subject to this presidential proclamation. The full text of the presidential proclamation is available on the White House website at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-suspending-entry-immigrants-present-risk-u-s-labor-market-economic-recovery-following-covid-19-outbreak/.

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

4 minutes ago, Raizee said:

Routine visas services have been suspended at U.S. posts worldwide

That is an important statement......

[payxibka 10,045]

17 minutes ago, JBF said:

However it could be possible (in certain cases, I believe) to travel to a third country and then enter the US after having self-quarantined in such third country. I was doing research on it, and it could be doable. However my main concern was, is what they (the Consulate) have stated correct?  I’m simply trying to understand this, because from what I’ve been reading it’s not. The travel ban prevents individuals from traveling, not from getting visas. Or am I wrong? 

Not wrong but public facing services are suspended.  

[JBF 116]

7 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

That is an important statement......

 

4 minutes ago, payxibka said:

Not wrong but public facing services are suspended.  

I know and I understand. However, for military reasons, I was requesting an emergency appointment. I really need to get to the US within the beginning of July for such reasons, but considering the response of the Consulate at this point I don’t know ... 

[payxibka 10,045]

4 minutes ago, JBF said:

 

I know and I understand. However, for military reasons, I was requesting an emergency appointment. I really need to get to the US within the beginning of July for such reasons, but considering the response of the Consulate at this point I don’t know ... 

What is the emergency and was this articulated to the consulate?

[JBF 116]

8 minutes ago, payxibka said:

What is the emergency and was this articulated to the consulate?

It was. In the email I have sent explaining the situation in details, I have attached two official documents that were indeed proving the reasons my request is based on, one was from my fiancé’s superior and one was from my fiancé. The reasons are mainly regarding the fact that my fiancé will be gone for an extended period of time after the beginning of July, which would prevent me from joining him unless indeed married, and then financial ones. 
It was documented. However I don’t understand how and where the travel ban states that Consulates and Embassies are not allowed to issue visas ... the automatic email of the Consulate actually specifically says that they’re only continuing urgent appointment services. 

Edited April 27, 2020 by JBF

[sl1pstream 551]

1 hour ago, JBF said:

Thank you for answering my post that indeed is about the travel ban and not really about the EO. However, I don’t understand why the Consulate stated that they are unable to issue visas because of the Presidential Proclamation about the travel ban. If it’s a travel ban, it should be about traveling and not about the issuance of visas. I’ve tried to read the Proclamation as well, and from what I saw it doesn’t state that it prevents the issuance of visas, but only the entry of immigrants and non-immigrants that were, in the last 14 days, in the subject areas (in my case, Schengen area). The consulate states they’re currently giving the possibility to have only urgent appointments.
Does anyone have any ideas on this? 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/Presidential-Proclamation-Coronavirus.html

I'm working on a K1 but the consulate in Belgium is doing the same thing. They're not even willing to clarify anything except point to the Schengen travel ban. We haven't even gotten to the interview part yet, I still need to get the paperwork together, so it would've been cool if they just sent me that, so I could use (now seemingly unlimited) time I had before I was able to schedule an interview to do that. I've just given up on asking about it.

 

42 minutes ago, payxibka said:

Not wrong but public facing services are suspended.  

Seemingly all routine visa activity, not just public facing services. They're not sending out the packets with the instructions you get before the interview, so you know what papers you need either.

Edited April 27, 2020 by sl1pstream

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

29 minutes ago, JBF said:

The reasons are mainly regarding the fact that my fiancé will be gone for an extended period of time after the beginning of July, which would prevent me from joining him unless indeed married, and then financial ones. 

Seems valid, to me, for an expedite.......but at the discretion of each consulate....

[payxibka 10,045]

20 minutes ago, sl1pstream said:

 

Seemingly all routine visa activity, not just public facing services. They're not sending out the packets with the instructions you get before the interview, so you know what papers you need either.

Understandable because many items on the "list" are not actionable,  therefore not a high priority 

[sl1pstream 551]

1 hour ago, JBF said:

I don’t see how the Schengen travel ban affects the issuance of visas, as I said several times. It should be about traveling. It doesn’t really make sense to me. Do you have any ideas on what I could do? 
It seems odd that they’re saying how you can request an emergency appointment, but then deny it this way.

No idea, it seems like it really shouldn't. Let me know if you figure it out.

[TBoneTX 45,273]

A political-opinion video has been removed.  Please avoid posting similar material.

[retheem 564]

On 4/26/2020 at 2:30 AM, SilverLake said:

Hi everyone,

 

Trump signed the Muslim ban in 2017, and the ban was supposed to last 90 days only. However, as of today it is still valid because Trump kept extending the ban.

 

Do you think the immigration ban will be in the same situation? Ie, he will keep it valid as long as he is still in office, or until he can really make Congress pass a law that can halt family immigrant (except for spouse and child under 21) altogether?

 

Thanks!

Assume Trump will do whatever he will do to restrict immigration and proceed on from there.