Joe Biden Reopens Gateway For Green Cards Reversing Trump COVID-19 Freeze

On Wednesday, 24th of Feburuary President Joe Biden lifted a Trump-era ban on green cards issued outside the United States and temporary work visas. President Biden on revoked a freeze that his predecessor had put on many types of visas due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the order did not advance U.S. interests and hurt industries and individuals alike. “It harms the United States, including by preventing certain family members of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents from joining their families here,” Biden said in a proclamation revoking the measure.

Former President Donald Trump had frozen “green cards” for new immigrants during the pandemic, arguing that the dramatic clampdown on legal immigration was vital to safeguarding the U.S. labor market during the pandemic to protect jobs and for public health reasons. He also halted temporary work visas for skilled workers, managers and au pairs in the H-1B, H-4, H-2B, L-1 and J categories. In the measure announced last month, Biden did not lift the freeze on those types of temporary employment visas. 

Biden said the earlier policy has prevented qualified and eligible non-U.S. residents from entering the country, “resulting, in some cases, in the delay and possible forfeiture of their opportunity … and to realize their dreams in the United States.” Biden’s revocation of the immigrant visa ban is a positive sign for those who have been prevented from applying for immigrant visas or from entering the U.S. under the ban. The ban primarily affected family-based immigrants. The proclamation does not revoke the work-visa ban issued on June 22, 2020 (Proclamation 10052), which bans certain temporary nonimmigrant visa categories, including H-1B, L-1 and J-1 visas. That ban is scheduled to expire March 31.