U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order banning people from six Majority-Muslim countries from coming to the U.S. for a 90 day period. Iraq is now not on the list of banned countries but the other six countries, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and Iran are still on the list of banned countries. Similar to the executive order he signed previously, the new order titled “Executive Order Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States” will prevent the U.S. from accepting refugees for a 120 day period. The order he signed earlier has been revoked.
This new directive will come into effect on March 16, 2017. Beginning March 16, 2017, people from Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and Iran will not be able to obtain visas to travel to the U.S. However, waivers will be granted to people from these countries to travel to the U.S., in urgent circumstances.
The new order will not affect the refugees who have already been granted permission to come to the U.S. But new refugees will not be granted entry into the U.S. for 120 days. After 120 days, refugees, irrespective of their country of birth, will be allowed to come to the U.S. This order will also not affect green card holders from the six countries whose citizens are banned from traveling to the U.S. Nonimmigrant visa holders in the U.S. will not be affected. Those who have received nonimmigrant visas to come to the U.S. but still have not come to the U.S., will be allowed to travel to the U.S.
During the 120 day period, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will make changes to the refugee program. They will set new standards on what information their countries will need to provide when their citizens attempt to come to the U.S. as refugees. Citizens of countries that fail to provide all information that the U.S. requests, will be permanently banned from coming to the U.S.