Nonimmigrant visa applicants who admit they’ve experienced harm in their home country or fear returning there will now be denied a visa, according to a new State Department directive that came down last week. This April 28 change is already in effect and could impact your foreign national employees on H-1B, L-1, or other nonimmigrant visas, or those you sponsor for US travel. What happened, what are the effects, and what five steps should you take as a result?
What Happened?
On April 28, the US Department of State issued a worldwide cable to all US embassies and consulates directing consular officers to ask two new questions of every nonimmigrant visa applicant as part of the standard interview process:
Under the new rules, applicants must verbally answer “no” to both questions for the visa interview to proceed and for the State Department to issue a visa. An affirmative response to either question, or a refusal to answer, will result in a visa denial.
Who Could Be Affected in Your Workforce?
This policy applies to all nonimmigrant visa categories, which could include a wide range of workers in your organization.
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