On December 30 President Trump extended an executive order that temporarily adds new immigration restrictions on guest workers during the COVID pandemic. Work visa suspensions were first put into effect for 60 days on April 22, 2020; then on June 22, President Trump signed an executive order to restrict work visas through the end of 2020. On December 31, Trump extended the freeze on tech and highly skilled temporary workers until March 31, 2021. The restrictions prevent hundreds of thousands of foreign workers from working in the United States and is strongly opposed by business groups order cheap such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Associations of Manufacturers, who have filed lawsuits to block the order.
The guest-worker program restrictions include new H-1B tech worker visas, H-2B seasonal worker visas, some J work and education exchange visitor visas and L executive transfer visas. The executive order has exemptions for military personnel and health care workers who are exempt in the national interest.
Trump enacted a Green Card suspension during the pandemic which is also extended until March 31, 2021.
Guest worker visas are for foreign worker “nonimmigrants” with specific skills and knowledge needed by American businesses and industries. The guest worker visa program allows foreign workers to temporarily reside and work in the United States to perform specific work function for a defined period of time. Business groups such as the Information Technology Industry Council vehemently protested when they learned of the Trump administration’s original plan to block all guest worker visas. Guest worker visas include:
• Technology Workers
Skilled, educated foreign workers bring knowledge and expertise to American technology companies that cannot hire the needed skills
• Health Care Workers
Healthcare professionals are often in demand by hospitals and other health care industries; the COVID-19 crisis needs foreign health care workers, medical researchers and others to help manage and combat the health crisis.
• Farm Laborers
Farm laborer guest workers are critical to secure the American food supply. Often the work is harder and pay is lower than most Americans are willing to accept, and migrant workers provide vital labor for the food industry.
• Student Visas
You must have a student visa to study in the United States. The course of study and the type of school you plan to attend determine whether you need an F visa or an M visa.
Godoy Law Office is an established immigration law firm in Chicago and Lombard, Illinois, with attorneys who are ready to help you apply for legal immigration status if you are eligible. If you need help with an immigration issue, please contact our office at 630-912-0322.
Godoy Law Office serves the entire Chicago, Illinois area including DuPage, Cook, Kane, Will, and Lake Counties.
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Immigration Attorney Mario Godoy has years of experience guiding clients with immigration issues through the immigration process along with guiding clients through the criminal case. Godoy focuses on family-based immigration law, business immigration law, removal defense, and criminal defense representation of immigrants. A criminal charge or conviction can be devastating to your immigration case. With over a decade of immigration law experience and memories of family members who were deported due to bad legal advice, Godoy is committed to helping other immigrant families receive the legal justice they deserve. As a legal entrepreneur who practices immigration law, criminal law, estate and probate law, and running two successful law firms, Mario Godoy understands the importance of keeping families together and making a home and future in America.
