Coronavirus and immigration, the situation in the United States
The world has paused in the face of the new coronavirus pandemic. A health crisis, an economic anguish, and for certain, a migratory uncertainty. Our edition went to meet Francine Prewitt, a French-speaking business lawyer and immigration specialist based in New York. She answered our questions.
Lepetitjournal.com New York: The United States has suspended the issuance of visas worldwide, except for emergency visas. Can you explain to us what it is?
Francine Prewitt: To try to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the American government has decided to suspend for an indefinite period, the visa services of routines in all the embassies and consulates of the United States from March 20. To the extent possible, embassies and consulates will continue to provide emergency visa services.
People living in the United States with an E2 or other visa left the country just before the borders closed. What happens to these people? Are they stranded outside the US, and possibly their families, until the crisis ends?
The American administration has suspended access to the territory for foreign nationals coming from, or having stayed in the 14 days preceding their attempt to enter the United States in certain countries, including the Schengen area and the UK. Spouses of American citizens and residents as well as parents of minors of American nationality are not affected by this measure. An option for people on an E2 visa who wish to return to the US would be to go to a country that is not affected by the ban and stay there for at least 14 days before returning to the US.
The offices of the Immigration services are closed to the public until further notice (April 1 indicated on the website) that must be done by people who had an appointment scheduled for an interview, a naturalization, a green card. ..?
The immigration authorities will send people who had an appointment scheduled during the closing period a notice containing a new date for their interview. These people must take their pain patiently and wait for the leaflet.
What should people do who have to return to their country to renew their expiring visa? Despite the border closure, if the visa expires, and given the situation, can we stay on American soil?
Good question! People on a visa which expires must avoid exceeding their duration of stay under penalty of being prohibited from entering US territory for 3 years (for people who have been in an irregular situation in the US for more than 180 days). It is important that these people leave the US within the time limit if they cannot obtain a visa extension.
Nobody can read in a crystal ball, but from an immigration point of view, what will happen to people on visa E and whose business will be more or less heavily impacted by the recession which Donald Trump himself- even speak?
It is difficult to predict indeed. People on visa E will surely continue their activity until the expiration of their visa. The problem may arise during the visa renewal for those whose business has been affected by the recession and whose viability could be questioned ...
Do you think that after the health crisis, an upward revision of the duration of E visas, in the crosshairs of trump, is possible?
I am not sure. One of the goals of the Trump administration with the 2017 "buy american, hire american" decree is to protect American employees. In this perspective, if an upward revision of the duration of E visa for investors is perceived by the administration as a necessity to create jobs in the US, the administration could consider it.
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