On Oct. 4, President Donald Trump signed a new “Presidential Proclamation on the Suspension of Entry of Immigrants Who Will Financially Burden the United States Healthcare System,” which goes into effect Nov. 3 and affects most immigrant visa applicants. This Presidential Proclamation is separate from the Public Charge Rule, which is on hold in the U.S. due to a court injunction, and its implementation at U.S. Consulates has been delayed by the Department of State.

According to the new Presidential Proclamation, with very small exceptions including refugees and asylees, applicants for immigrant visas will need to present evidence to the consular office “to the consular officer’s satisfaction” at the time of their immigrant visa interview that they will be covered by approved health insurance within 30 days of entering the U.S. or that they have enough financial means to pay for “reasonably foreseeable medical costs.” The Presidential Proclamation asserts that “lawful immigrants are about three times more likely than United States citizens to lack health insurance.
Continue Reading New Presidential Proclamation Requiring Health Care for Immigrant Visa Applicants Effective November 3, 2019

Congress approved the Omnibus Appropriations legislation on Feb. 14, 2019.  On Feb. 15, the president signed the legislation into law and announced additional executive actions to further address needs the
Continue Reading President Signs Appropriations Legislation Extending EB-5 and More Government Functions

On Monday evening, President Trump signed the Continuing Resolution (CR) into law ending the three-day, 69-hour government shutdown.

In addition to funding the government and other policy-related matters, the CR
Continue Reading President Trump Signs Continuing Resolution into Law

On Dec. 4, 2017, the Supreme Court issued an order allowing President Trump’s Proclamation on Travel Ban to go fully into effect. With certain exceptions, this ban places entry restriction on nationals of eight countries – Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. As previously reported, in September a U.S. District Judge in Hawaii blocked the Proclamation from taking effect, except for nationals of North Korea and Venezuela. On Nov. 13, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily put part of the lower court’s ruling on hold, allowing the Proclamation to take effect, but only for those individuals from the impacted countries who do not have bona fide ties to the United States.
Continue Reading Supreme Court Issues Order Allowing Full Implementation of Proclamation