Travel and Visa ban for Nationals of Certain Countries: Advisory and Tips
Published on January 30, 2017 | By Shahzad Ahmed- Immigration Attorney with NeJame Law
Under the Presidential Executive Order, Protecting The Nation from Terrorist Attacks By Foreign Nations, dated January 27, 2017, immigrants and non-immigrants “from” Libya, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, are barred from entry to the US for a period of 90 days. Additional countries may be added to this list. Given the broad wording, even if you are not a national of the above countries, but you travel there, you may be barred from entry into the U.S. If you have already traveled abroad to one of these countries, then you may be barred from the U.S. during the 90 day period. Also, U.S. consular offices are suspending visa issuance.
Although lawsuits have been filed to challenge the travel ban, following are some tips in dealing with this ban if you fall into any of the above categories:
- Consult with your immigration attorney.
- For permanent residents, do not sign a Form I-407. By doing so, you will relinquish your residency.
- If your planned trip is a discretionary one, then consider delaying it until the courts have ruled on the travel ban issue.
- Even if you are not a national of any of the above countries, but you have traveled to any of them, the CBP may still attempt to bar your admission.
- Note that even if you do not fit into any of the above categories, you will still likely be screened and if there is some issue in your record, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may place you in secondary or deferred inspection.
For any immigration consultation, feel free to contact our office at (407) 500-0000. You may also fill out our online form on this page!