Trump extends immigration and visa restrictions through end of year

The president signed a sweeping executive order temporarily barring immigrants on H-1B and other work visas

By Andrew Peng, Elynna Chang, and Andrew Huang

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. unveiled a series of highly-anticipated immigration restrictions on Monday, with President Trump signing a proclamation extending a “pause” on issuance of green cards and halting H-1B, H4, H-2B, L-1 and J temporary work visas through the end of the year (full text here).

• Details: The order freezes H-1B visas for specialized high-skill workers, most H-2B visas for nonagricultural seasonal workers, and other visa types with some exemptions, a senior Trump administration official told reporters.
• The U.S. is also seeking to make broad changes to the H-1B category, continuing its push to tighten the program. The Trump administration is expected propose a new way of awarding the visas — by highest salary instead of by lottery.
• The rationale: The administration claims that the move is intended to safeguard more than 525,000 American jobs as more states re-open amid the coronavirus pandemic. It will not immediately impact workers already in the U.S. or those outside the country who have already been issued valid visas.
• Ripple effects: The order is the latest immigration restriction imposed by the Trump administration, and reducing the number of high-skilled workers from immigrating to the U.S. will have wide-ranging consequences for academia, hospitals, science and technology companies, and other industries.

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