Presidential Proclamation Temporarily Suspending Entry of Certain Nonimmigrants in H, L, and J Status

Presidential Proclamation Temporarily Suspending Entry of Certain Nonimmigrants in H, L, and J Status

On June 22, 2020, President Trump issued a Proclamation titled Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak. The Proclamation will take effect on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 12:01 a.m. EDT.

The Proclamation suspends entry to the U.S. by foreign nationals in certain J-1 categories and H-1B, H-2B and L-1 workers until December 31, 2020. The Proclamation also extends to December 31, 2020, the suspension of certain new immigrant visas, as originally published on April 22, 2020, in Proclamation 10014.

PLEASE NOTE:

  • The Proclamation does NOT apply to individuals already in the United States and does NOT prohibit change to H-1B status or extension of H-1B status.
     
  • The Proclamation does NOT apply to individuals who already have a valid H-1B visa stamp.
     
  • The Proclamation DOES suspend entry to the U.S. of foreign nationals in H-1B status (and any accompanying family members) if they are outside the US AND do nothave valid H-1B entry visas issued by a U.S. Embassy/Consulate.

MIT H-1B employees currently outside the U.S. are urged to contact the International Scholars Office ischo@mit.edu to speak with an advisor.  Also, MIT H-1B employees planning to travel outside the US should consult their International Scholars Office advisor before making travel reservations.

  • The Proclamation does NOT restrict the filing, adjudication, or approval of H-1B  petitions filed with USCIS, or the issuance of J-1 exchange visitor documents. It does NOT prohibit change of status to or extension of status in these categories.
     
  • The Proclamation does NOT contain provisions impacting the F-1 student visa, Optional Practical Training, or STEM Extensions of Optional Practical Training.
     
  • MIT International students and scholars in the following J-1 Exchange Visitor categories (and accompanying J-2 family members) are NOT affected by the Proclamation, and their entry to the U.S. is NOT suspended (see Box 4 on Form DS-2019):
    Student
    Research Scholar
    Professor
    Short-term Scholar
    Specialist
     
  • The order does NOT apply to other nonimmigrant visa categories such as TN, E-3, or O-1 visas.

View the full Proclamation here.

View a summary of the Proclamation, issued by NAFSA: Association of International Educators here.

Further details and clarification are expected and will be posted on the MIT Major Immigration Updates page as well as the International Scholars Office and the International Student Office pages.

The MIT Administration, faculty, and staff are here to support you, and we encourage you to reach out to us if we can be of any assistance.

Sincerely,

Penny Rosser
Director, MIT International Scholars Office
http://web.mit.edu/scholars/

David C. Elwell
Associate Dean and Director, MIT International Students Office
http://iso.mit.edu

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