US amends Visa-ban proclamation

In a huge relief to NRI’s in the U.S , the state department has announced that the spouses and kids of H-1B and L-1 workers, who were stuck in India due to the visa ban, will be able to get their visa stamped and travel to the US.

The spouses and kids who stranded in India till at least the end of the year, following the visa ban announced by the  President Trump on June 22, can now take a breath of relief. According to the latest guidance issued by ‘The State Department’, once consulate offices open, the stranded family members will be able to get their visas stamped and fly to the US, to join their spouse.

Many exceptions in the visa-ban declaration, which currently extends till December 31, have been provided in the guidance. The exceptions contain spouses and dependent children of the principal non-immigrant who is holding certain categories of valid work visas.

Almost 500,000 migrant professionals are employed in the US in the H-1B status.Among them 3 lakh are Indians.

Spouses and children who stuck in India, had visited to attend either family functions like weddings, or due to the urgent medical care of their loved ones. It is found that over a thousand dependents who had left stranded in India due to the lockdown, faced further worsened situation by the visa-ban.

According to Times Of India, the exemption also applies to dependents, if the principal non-immigrant is granted a discretionary exemption from the visa ban. To illustrate a discretionary exemption could be granted to healthcare professionals who will be engaged in fighting Covid-19 and will be entering the US, say on an H-1B or J visa.

An exception from the visa-ban proclamation has also been carved out for child immigrant visa applicants who are in danger of ageing out by January 14, next year.

Incidentally a few days ago, a group of 174 Indians had filed a lawsuit in a US district court against the visa-ban proclamation, the reprot said.