Will President Trump’s New Executive Order of Temporary Immigration Suspension Affect Indian Students?

To begin with, students planning to study in the USA need not worry about this order.

President Donald Trump, on Wednesday, April 22, signed an executive order temporarily suspending immigration (new green cards). He said that he took this action to protect American jobs amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

Since then, there has been a lot of panic and confusion among Indian students about the implications of the order on student visas and work permits.

But as a matter of fact, the order applies only to those seeking permanent residence (green card) in the United States. It has been issued only for 60 days, at which point it will be re-evaluated and potentially extended.

To further clear the confusion, here are a few specifics of the order:

The order will apply to foreign nationals seeking a Green Card and who are outside the US at the time of the order. (With certain exceptions)

The order does not apply to non-immigrant visa applicants such as F1, H1B, and L1. So students who have completed their graduation and are on OPT can apply for their H1B visa (work permit) without any hassle.

Similarly, the order also has no effect on F1 visas, and students seeking to go to the US for further studies can do so without any hindrance from US consulates in India.

The order does not affect the processing of immigrant petitions (Green Card) and adjustment of status applications for those who are applying for their green cards from within the US.