Presidential Proclamation 10052 (PP 10052), which suspended entry of nonimmigrants in the H-1B, H-2B, L-1, and certain J-1 categories, and their dependents, has expired as of March 31, 2021. This is welcome news; however, the expiration of PP 10052 will not likely result in immediate processing of nonimmigrant visa applications, given the current state of U.S. consular operations.
The COVID-19 global pandemic continues to impact post operations and with many health-related bans still in place, will likely continue to impact posts’ ability to process cases. Many posts are prioritizing the issuance of immigrant visas, and this is likely to impact the availability of appointments and processing times for nonimmigrant visas.
The nonimmigrant proclamation had been in effect since June 24, 2020, and was initially scheduled to expire on December 31, 2020, but former President Trump extended the ban through March 31, 2021. President Biden revoked a companion Trump-era immigrant visa ban on February 25, 2021, but let the nonimmigrant ban run its course through the end of March.