Dear international students and scholars,
As you may now, yesterday President Trump signed a Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak.
This proclamation suspends the entry to the U.S. of certain visa holders through December 31, 2020, including:
- H-1B and H-2B visa holders, and their dependents
- J-1 visas in the following categories: intern, trainee, teacher, camp counselor, au pair, or summer work travel program, and their dependents
- L visa holders, and their dependents
The proclamation does not impact:
- Those who are currently in the U.S. and seeking a Change of Status to H-1B
- Those currently in the U.S. and seeking an extension of H-1B status
- Those who are outside the U.S. and have a current, valid H-1B visa stamp – reentry is possible on the current visa.
- J-1 visas in the student, student intern, research scholar, professor, short term scholar and specialist categories.
- F-1 OPT or CPT work authorizations, or Change of Status inside the U.S. from F-1 to H-1B
If you are currently outside the U.S., and you are transitioning to H-1B status through consular processing, please consult with your employer for further assistance. If you are currently on OPT and transitioning to H-1B through Change of Status, we urge you to be cautious with any international travel plans. If you have difficulty returning in F-1 status, you will not be able to rely on applying for your H-1B visa abroad, as a back-up. We will update students and OPT participants with any further developments on this proclamation, as we learn of them.