Washington, D.C., March 5, 2021: Recently, the Biden Administration reversed a Trump-era policy that forced legal green card applicants to remain outside the U.S. even if their visas had been approved.

Presidential Proclamation 10014 was a relic of the expansive immigration restrictions adopted by the Trump Administration in response to the COVID19 pandemic. Under Proclamation 10014, the U.S. barred entry to new green card holders in family-based categories and work-based green card categories, with exceptions made for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, EB-5 investors, healthcare professionals and persons closely related to people serving in the Armed Forces. The theory behind the policy was that immigrants put “at risk” the U.S. labor market and the economic recovery from the COVID19 pandemic. Presidential Proclamation 10014 was signed into effect on April 22, 2020 and was renewed by President Trump until March 31, 2021.

President Biden rescinded Presidential Proclamation 10014 on February 24, 2021. Thus, the unjustified freeze on green cards issued abroad has been lifted. In the nearly 1 year it was in effect, Presidential Proclamation 10014 caused the needless separation of families who have waited for years to complete legal immigration procedures to the U.S. It has been finally ended.

Despite this important policy improvement, U.S. Consulates face backlogs of immigrants whose visa appointments will need to be scheduled during 2021, and the continued precautions caused by the COVID19 pandemic. Inevitably, there were by delays in obtaining visa appointments at U.S. Consulates throughout 2021.

Donoso & Partners, a leading immigration law firm based in Washington, D.C., will continue to report on developments regarding the immigration law and policy through our news section of donosolaw.com.