Travel Restrictions Continue - (04/20/20, Updated 8/10/20)
**8/10/2020 UPDATE** U.S. Customs and Border Protection's website confirms that the current travel ban for Schengen countries and similar travel bans in other recent Presidential Proclamations are still in place.
Today, the Trump Administration extended travel and asylum restrictions along the U.S. border due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mexico and Canada will continue to suspend nonessential travel for at least another 30 days.
Last month’s ban on travel to U.S. for Europe’s Schengen Area citizens, thought to be for a period of 30 days when first proclaimed in mid-March, appears to be ongoing in that it has not been announced that the ban has been lifted. Moreover, the European Commission’s own 30-day ban against non-essential travel to the Schengen Zone by non-EU citizens is being considered for extension as all countries are still combatting the spread of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, as of March 20, the Department of State posted news of temporarily suspending routine visa services at all U.S. Embassies and Consulates, with services still offered to U.S. citizens and exceptions granted where resources allow for emergency and mission critical visa services, including issuing visas for some medical professionals.
USCIS is continuing to process Form I-129 petitions, although Premium Processing of I-129 and I-140 petitions are temporarily suspended due to COVID-19. For non U.S.-citizens who find themselves unexpectedly unable to depart the U.S. and may need to extend their stay or adjust their visa status, they must apply with USCIS and remember that the way to confirm one’s required departure date is to check the I-94 information, not the expiration date on a U.S. visa.