Today the Department of State updated its website regarding national interest exceptions to Presidential Proclamation 10014 and 10052. As you may recall, PP 10052, commonly referred to as the H-1B/L-1 Travel Ban, suspended the issuance of visas, beginning June 24, 2020, for those seeking entry pursuant to an H-1B, H-2B, L-1, and J-1 (intern, trainee, teacher, camp counselor, au pair, or summer work travel program) visa. The Presidential Proclamation applies to those individuals stated above if they:
1. Were outside the U.S. on the effective date of the Proclamation (June 24, 2020);
2. Did not have a nonimmigrant visa in one of the categories now suspended that is valid on the effective date of the Proclamation; and
3. Did not have an official travel document other than a visa (such as a transportation letter, boarding foil, or advance parole document) valid on the effective date of the Proclamation.
For more information regarding the proclamation, visit my previous article here.
One of the exceptions to the proclamation included those individuals whose entry would be in the “national interest” as determined by the Secretary of State, Secretary of Homeland Security, or their respective designees. According to the Department of State website, national interest exceptions for H-1B applicants may include:
For travel as a public health or healthcare professional, or researcher to alleviate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, or to conduct ongoing medical research in an area with a substantial public health benefit (e.g. cancer or communicable disease research). This includes those traveling to alleviate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that may be a secondary effect of the pandemic (e.g., travel by a public health or healthcare professional, or researcher in an area of public health or healthcare that is not directly related to COVID-19, but which has been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic).
Travel supported by a request from a U.S. government agency or entity to meet critical U.S. foreign policy objectives or to satisfy treaty or contractual obligations. This would include individuals, identified by the Department of Defense or another U.S. government agency, performing research, providing IT support/services, or engaging other similar projects essential to a U.S. government agency.
Travel by applicants seeking to resume ongoing employment in the United States in the same position with the same employer and visa classification. Forcing employers to replace employees in this situation may cause financial hardship. Consular officers can refer to Part II, Question 2 of the approved Form I-129 to determine if the applicant is continuing in “previously approved employment without change with the same employer.”
Travel by technical specialists, senior level managers, and other workers whose travel is necessary to facilitate the immediate and continued economic recovery of the United States. Consular officers may determine that an H-1B applicant falls into this category when at least two of the following five indicators are present:
The petitioning employer has a continued need for the services or labor to be performed by the H-1B nonimmigrant in the United States. Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) approved by DOL during or after July 2020 are more likely to account for the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the U.S. labor market and the petitioner’s business; therefore, this indicator is only present for cases with an LCA approved during or after July 2020 as there is an indication that the petitioner still has a need for the H-1B worker. For LCAs approved by DOL before July 2020, this indicator is only met if the consular officer is able to determine from the visa application the continuing need of petitioned workers with the U.S. employer. Regardless of when the LCA was approved, if an applicant is currently performing or is able to perform the essential functions of the position for the prospective employer remotely from outside the United States, then this indicator is not present.
The applicant’s proposed job duties or position within the petitioning company indicate the individual will provide significant and unique contributions to an employer meeting a critical infrastructure need. Critical infrastructure sectors are chemical, communications, dams, defense industrial base, emergency services, energy, financial services, food and agriculture, government facilities, healthcare and public health, information technology, nuclear reactors, transportation, and water systems. Employment in a critical infrastructure sector alone is not sufficient; the consular officers must establish that the applicant holds one of the two types of positions noted below: a.) Senior level placement within the petitioning organization or job duties reflecting performance of functions that are both unique and vital to the management and success of the overall business enterprise; OR b.) The applicant’s proposed job duties and specialized qualifications indicate the individual will provide significant and unique contributions to the petitioning company.
The wage rate paid to the H-1B applicant meaningfully exceeds the prevailing wage rate by at least 15 percent (see Part F, Questions 10 and 11 of the LCA) by at least 15 percent. When an H-1B applicant will receive a wage that meaningfully exceeds the prevailing wage, it suggests that the employee fills an important business need where an American worker is not available.
The H-1B applicant’s education, training and/or experience demonstrate unusual expertise in the specialty occupation in which the applicant will be employed. For example, an H-1B applicant with a doctorate or professional degree, or many years of relevant work experience, may have such advanced expertise in the relevant occupation as to make it more likely that he or she will perform critically important work for the petitioning employer.
Denial of the visa pursuant to P.P. 10052 will cause financial hardship to the U.S. employer. The following examples, to be assessed based on information from the visa application, are illustrative of what may constitute a financial hardship for an employer if a visa is denied: the employer’s inability to meet financial or contractual obligations; the employer’s inability to continue its business; or a delay or other impediment to the employer’s ability to return to its pre-COVID-19 level of operations.
To view the national interest exceptions in full, please click here.
If you are an H-1B holder subject to the proclamation and you believe you fall into one of these categories of the national interest exception, you may request a visa application appointment at a Consulate or Embassy (if open). A decision will be made during the interview as to whether you have established eligibility of a visa pursuant to a national interest exception.
Comments