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Presidential Proclamation on Expanded Travel Ban

9/29/17

By: Layli Eskandari Deal

The President announced a revised travel ban on September 24, 2017. The new travel ban removes Sudan from the list but adds 3 additional countries to the list. Each designated Country has specific restrictions and they are as follows:

1. Chad – Entry into the United States of nationals of Chad, as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on business (B-1), tourist (B-2) and business/tourist (b-1/B-2) visas is suspended.
2. Iran – Entry into the United States of nationals of Iran as immigrants and nonimmigrants is suspended, except that entry of nationals of Iran under valid student (F and M) and exchange visitors (J) visas is not suspended, although such individuals will be subject to enhanced screening and vetting requirements.
3. Libya – Entry into the United States of nationals of Libya, as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on business (B-1), tourist (B-2), and business/tourist (B-1/B- 2) visas, is suspended.
4. North Korea – Entry into the United States of nationals of North Korea as immigrants and nonimmigrants is suspended.
5. Somalia – Entry into the United States of nationals of Somalia as immigrants is suspended, and nonimmigrants traveling to the United States will be subject to enhanced screening and vetting requirements.
6. Syria – Entry into the United States of nationals of Syria as immigrants and nonimmigrants is suspended.
7. Venezuela – entry into the United States of certain Venezuelan government officials and their immediate family members as nonimmigrants on business (B-1), tourist (B-2), and business/tourist (B-1/B- 2) visas is suspended.
8. Yemen – entry into the United States of nationals of Yemen as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on business (B-1), tourist (B-2), and business/tourist (B-1/B- 2) visas, is suspended.

Also, Secretary of Homeland Security recommended that nationals of Iraq who seek to enter the United States be subject to additional scrutiny to determine if they pose risks to the national security or public safety of the United States.
The suspension of entry does not apply to:

1. Any individual who already is a lawful permanent resident of the United States (green card holder).
2. Any foreign national who was admitted or paroled into the United States on or after the effective date of this new Order.
3. Any foreign national who has a document other than a visa that allows travel to the United States and seek admission, valid on effective date or after the date of this Order, such as an Advance Parole Document.
4. Any dual national of a country designated when the individual is traveling on a passport issued by a non-designated country.
5. Any foreign national traveling on diplomatic or diplomatic-type visa, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Visa, C-2 visa for travel to the United Nations, or G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4 visas.
6. Any foreign national been granted asylum, any refugee who has already been admitted to the United States, or any individual who has been granted withholding of removal, advance parole, or protection on the Convention Against torture.

The indefinite bans immediately impact nationals of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen with no bona fide relationship to a U.S. person or entity, and will take effect for all other impacted nationals of those countries, as well as nationals of Chad, North Korea, and Venezuela, on October 18, 2017.
For additional information related to this topic and for advice regarding how to navigate U.S. immigration laws you may contact Layli Eskandari Deal of the law firm of Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP at (770-551-2700) or LDEAL@fmglaw.com.