27 Jun 2018

The Travel Ban is Now Official – What Does It Mean for You?

The US Supreme Court has upheld the Trump Administration’s proposal to ban certain people from coming into the United States. Countries included in the ban are Iran, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Somalia. Although primarily from Islamic countries, the ban also restricts citizens from North Korea and Venezuela. These countries were chosen for having inefficient processes that vet potential terrorists from coming into the US.

How Will the Travel Ban Affect you?

As for the countries specifically covered under the travel ban, all immigrants and nonimmigrants will be restricted from those countries except Venezuela where only some of the government officials are banned from traveling to the US. However, this travel ban, now that it is officially instituted may still have some impact on others even if you don’t belong to these seven countries.

Refugees and asylum seekers will have a hard time seeking entry into the US.
Students coming in from these countries or others transiting through them will undergo strict and enhanced screenings before being granted a student visa. Contact your school/college to seek paperwork reflecting relevant proof of admission. If you are admitted for the coming Fall 2018 semester and have questions regarding your legal entry, contact a legal expert at www.lawbench.com to ensure all your paperwork is in place.
Travelers transiting through these restricted countries will need to confirm with their airline if they are flying through there anymore or if the routes have been rerouted.
If airlines are being rerouted, travelers should confirm if there are transit visa requirements in these new airports. Some may require you to have a transit visa for anytime between 8-12 hours or more.
Transit visas may be a new requirement in certain airports if you plan to exit the airport for a short period.
If changes to your travel plans are still possible, some alternate routes to the US could be via Singapore, Amsterdam, and UK.
If your port of entry is Abu Dhabi, the norms remain the same. However, it is advisable to check for regulations with the US embassy as well the airline before boarding. There are new restrictions on what can be carried in your check-in as well as carry-on baggage.
Some travelers seeking waivers can be admitted, but there is an additional vetting required and admission will be granted on a case-by-case basis.
Travelers having a recently stamped visa and valid passport will continue to be able to enter the US.
This freedom applies to already existing Green card holders and Legal Permanent Residents.
If your paperwork is still process, and are yet to be approved, contact a local USCIS service center to ensure the travel ban did not affect your place in the process-queue.
For travelers from the US who already had planned trips to any of these banned countries, should contact the US consulate to see how this would affect their travel plans, especially entering back into the US.
For businessman, conducting business in these countries they should explore alternatives. Situations involving money transfer and goods import and export will be re-chalked keeping the new restrictions in mind.