Bad news for anyone waiting for a green card or visa to go to the US.
The incumbent US President Donald Trump has extended the suspension of the issuing of certain work visas and green cards until the end of March, with reference to the ongoing corona pandemic. The effects of the pandemic on the US labor market and the health of the American people remain a matter of concern, according to a proclamation published by the president on Thursday (local time).
For this reason, the measures imposed in April and June, which significantly limit legal immigration to the USA, should remain in place for the time being. The labor, homeland security and foreign ministries should regularly check whether changes to the measures are necessary.
The orders apply only to foreigners currently outside the United States who do not yet have an entry permit. Anyone who already has a permanent residence permit is not affected. There are also exceptions for spouses and children of US citizens.
The world’s largest economy is badly hit because of the pandemic. The number of recipients of unemployment benefits is now 19.6 million, a year ago it was only around 1.8 million. The many new infections every day give little hope of a quick recovery.
In the proclamation, the US government drew a much more pessimistic picture than Trump in a video message published on Thursday to justify the measures. In it he said, among other things, that the country had coped with the corona pandemic “dramatically better” than experts had predicted.