On 20 January 2017, less than 70 days from now, Donald Trump will be inaugurated as America's 45th President. Immigration reform will be a key part of the Trump administration.
Key Points
- Citizens of non-visa-waiver countries should consider applying for a visa (or renewing an existing visa) as soon as possible, as we expect US visa policy to become stricter under the Trump presidency.
- In particular, travel to the US for the world's approximately 1.6 billion Muslim population, or citizens of Muslim-majority countries, may be restricted or face "extreme vetting".
- Besides visa applications, the Withers Global Immigration team frequently assists families on other immigration matters such as residency, citizenship-by-investment, and US expatriation.
According to Donald Trump's campaign website and campaign speeches, the President-elect has made the following immigration proposals:
Border Security
- Vet applicants to ensure they support America's values, institutions and people.
- Temporarily suspend immigration from regions that export terrorism and where safe vetting cannot presently be ensured.
- Begin work on an impenetrable wall on the US border with Mexico.
Muslim Immigration Ban
- Mr. Trump's statements on this topic have changed over the past few months. In December 2015, Mr. Trump proposed a temporary ban on foreign Muslims entering the United States. In August 2016, Mr. Trump reformulated the proposal to a potential form of "extreme vetting".
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.