In a significant policy shift following the recent Washington DC shooting incident, the Donald Trump administration has unveiled a series of stringent immigration measures. These rules, announced over the past week, aim to tighten border security and vetting processes, with specific actions prompted by the Afghan origin of the primary suspect in the DC case.
Expanded Travel Ban and Visa Freeze
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has confirmed that the existing travel ban list will be expanded to include over 30 countries. Earlier this year, the administration had published a list of 19 nations facing full or partial restrictions. The current full ban applies to Afghanistan, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. A partial ban is in effect for Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The new, expanded list of over 30 countries has not yet been officially disclosed. Furthermore, in a decisive move post the DC shooting, all immigration requests—including those for visitor and student visas, as well as asylum applications—from the original 19 banned countries have been frozen.
Stricter Scrutiny for H-1B and H-4 Visa Applicants
Starting December 15, the US State Department will implement mandatory social media vetting for applicants of the H-1B visa and their spouses applying for H-4 dependent visas. While this measure was announced earlier, the official start date is now set. Consular officers will review the public social media profiles of applicants, who have been asked to make their accounts accessible for this purpose.
This change is poised to significantly affect a large number of professionals, particularly from India and China, who form the bulk of H-1B visa recipients.
Reduced Validity for Work Permits
In another major change, the Trump administration has slashed the validity period of work permits (Employment Authorization Documents) for certain immigrant categories from five years down to just 18 months. This means individuals will undergo the vetting and renewal process much more frequently.
The groups impacted by this reduction include:
- Refugees and immigrants granted asylum.
- Aliens granted withholding of deportation or removal.
- Individuals with pending applications for asylum, adjustment of status, suspension of deportation, or cancellation of removal.
It is important to note that this rule does not impact H-1B specialty occupation workers, as they do not work under this type of work permit.
Asylum Applications Put on Hold
Adding to the series of restrictions, the administration has placed all pending asylum applications on hold indefinitely. This blanket pause affects applicants from any country whose cases are currently awaiting a decision, creating further uncertainty for those seeking refuge in the United States.
These collective measures mark one of the most comprehensive crackdowns on immigration pathways in recent times, directly influencing travel, work, and asylum prospects for nationals from dozens of countries, including many with significant diaspora populations.
