Late in the afternoon of Friday, January 27th, President Trump issued an executive order entitled “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.” This executive order resulted in the following:
- Suspension of visa issuance for citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia for 90 days;
- Suspension of entry of citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia to the United States for 90 days;
- Ability to add additional countries to the above lists for “similar treatment”;
- Suspension of refugee resettlement entries for 120 days for citizens of all countries;
- Suspension of Syrian refugee resettlement for an undetermined time;
- Cap of 50,000 refugee admissions per year; and
- Immediate suspension of Visa Interview Waiver Program.
The order has sparked debate and protests nationally and globally as well as lawsuits. Across the country, courts have made rulings on the executive order, reducing its impact. Most notably, a federal judge in the Eastern District of New York issued a nationwide stay of the removal of individuals from the banned seven countries who have already legally entered the U.S.
How does this executive order affect the club industry?
Many clubs rely on foreign nationals for various jobs within clubs. First, make sure to check the nationality—and all nationalities—of your foreign national employees as the executive order applies to those even with dual citizenship. Second, we recommend instructing foreign national employees to plan more time for visa issuance appointments at consulates and embassies, as due to the suspension of the Visa Interview Waiver Program, the consulates and embassies may begin to see significant delays in scheduling appointments. Finally, an understanding of foreign nationals’ anxiety is crucial in employee retention as so many rumors are swirling as to who is affected and much of it involves misinformation.
Keith A. Pabian, Esq. is an immigration attorney at Pabian Law, LLC, an immigration law firm that represents companies and organizations in New England and across the United States. He can be reached at [email protected] or 617-939-9444. This article was prepared for educational purposes only.