Washington: The Donald Trump Administration has announced certain exemptions in H-1B and L-1 travel ban for those continuing employment with the same employer.
This is expected to help Indian IT professionals and those working in the healthcare sector.
The exemptions to the 22 June Presidential Proclamation 10052, commonly referred to as the H-1B or L-1 Travel Ban, also includes the family members of the H-1B, L-1 and certain categories of J1 visas.
The State Department, which issued the revised travel advisory, on Wednesday said that the exemptions have been given under national interest category.
In its advisory, the State Department said that H-1B and L-1 visas can now be issued for employees who are ‘seeking to resume ongoing employment in the United States in the same position with the same employer and visa classification.’
Forcing employers to replace existing employees may cause financial hardship, it said.
In his June proclamation, Trump banned the entry into the US of workers in several key non-immigrant visa categories, including the H-1B, arguing that they eat into American jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
Companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.