Most U.S. visa applicants who were denied because of former President Donald Trump’s travel ban on 13 mostly Muslim-majority and African countries can seek new decisions or submit new applications, the State Department said on Monday.
President Joe Biden overturned Trump’s so-called Muslim ban on Jan. 20, his first day in office, calling it “a stain on our national conscience” in his proclamation.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said applicants who were refused visas prior to Jan. 20, 2020, must submit new applications and pay a new application fee. Those who were denied on or after Jan. 20, 2020, may seek reconsideration without re-submitting their applications and do not have to pay additional fees, Price said.
Applicants selected in the diversity visa lottery prior to the current fiscal year are barred by U.S. law from being issued visas if they have not gotten them already, he said. The diversity lottery aims to accept immigrants from countries that are not normally awarded many visas.
Since December 2017, after a revised version of the original travel ban was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, some 40,000 people have been barred from entering the United States under the ban, according to State Department data.
During the Trump administration some countries were added and others dropped from the list. At the end of Trump’s presidency it comprised Myanmar, Eritrea, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Nigeria, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Venezuela and Yemen.
People coming to the United States of America to supposedly escape persecutions and a emanate threat to their lives for political or religious reasons. Get here and want to change our way of life, our way of governing. Our history and education. And this idiot in the White House wants to allow more of them into our country. To be fair, everyone knows that Joe isn’t calling the shots. He never has been. But that is no excuse as to why the people are letting it happen. It begs the question, who is calling the shots? Who has the power to step into the White House and move the President’s hand with the pen in it? Who is manipulating his voice when he is talking? One thing is for sure they have things locked down a lot tighter than the last administration. There seems to be no leaks escaping from this White House.