The White House announced on December 31, 2020 that the bans due to expire that day on entry into the U.S. of most immigrants, and of many temporary foreign workers, would be extended through March 31, 2021. The new Presidential Proclamation’s rationale for extending the entry bans is to prevent job competition while the economy continues to struggle due to the pandemic.
Previous Presidential Proclamations created a temporary ban against entry of immigrants, originally set to expire on June 24th and extended through December 31, 2020, followed by a ban through December 31st against temporary foreign workers, with exceptions for health care professionals and those working in the food supply chain.
These entry bans keep U.S. citizens and permanent residents from being joined by their immediate family members, and prevent U.S. employers from getting the foreign talent they need despite having already demonstrated to the Department of Labor that even during the pandemic, they can’t find qualified, willing and available U.S. workers to fill the jobs the foreign workers would be coming to do.
The incoming Biden administration should end these bans.