Alert – Warning About Travel to Certain Countries
Below is an alert received from American Immigration Lawyers Association. This points out the risk of travel abroad for persons who are from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen, and possibly other countries.
More to follow when a final Executive Order is signed.
Fee free to contact one of the immigration attorneys at Deutsch, Killea and Eapen, Immigration Law Firm, to discuss your concerns.
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Practice Alert: Travel Warning for Nationals of Certain Countries in Anticipation of Executive Order
AILA Doc. No. 17012670 | Dated January 26, 2017
American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) anticipates that an Executive Order will be signed this week relating to visa issuance, screening procedures, and refugees. The draft Executive Order is titled “Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Attacks by Foreign Nationals.” Please note, that this is NOT the final version of the Executive Order and it has not yet been signed by the president.
Among other provisions, Section 3 of the draft Executive Order, if implemented as written, would “suspend” the immigrant and nonimmigrant entry of nationals from certain designated countries for 30 days from the date of the order. Designated countries are tied to the Visa Waiver provisions of the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act and if implemented without change, would include Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Additional countries could be included.
The order also does not define what it means to be “from” a designated country. Thus, in an abundance of caution, it may be best to interpret the term broadly to include passport holders, citizens, nationals, dual nationals, etc. Additionally, after 30 days, travel is not automatically reinstated. Instead, DHS would be required to report whether countries have provided information “needed … for the adjudication of any … benefit under the INA … to determine that the individual seeking the benefit is who the individual claims to be and is not a security or public-safety threat.” If not, the country would have 60 days to comply, or the travel ban would become indefinite.
Attorneys should consider advising clients who might be affected by the Executive Order to refrain from traveling outside of the United States if they are already here, or try to return to the United States as soon as possible (tonight or early tomorrow) if they are outside of the country.
There are many questions raised by the draft executive order, and we will continue to release information and analysis as it becomes available.
