On June 22, 2020, President Trump issued a new Proclamation that expands his temporary suspension of the entry of individuals to the United States. This Proclamation follows a prior Proclamation of April 22, 2020, which temporarily suspended the entry to the U.S. of certain individuals who had recently been issued Immigrant Visas at U.S. Consular Posts abroad, and extends the April 22 Immigrant Visa travel ban through December 31, 2020.

Effective June 24, 2020, the travel ban suspends entry to the United States until at least December 31, 2020, of certain individuals seeking to enter the U.S. in H-1B, H-2B, L-1, and J-1 visa classifications. Specifically, the Proclamation impacts individuals who are: 1) outside the United States as of the effective date of the Proclamation; and 2) do not have a valid nonimmigrant visa or other official travel document as of the effective date of the Proclamation.

With a few exceptions, individuals approved in the following visa classifications who are outside of the United States without valid visa stamps in their passports are prohibited from entering the United States until December 31, 2020:

H-1B workers and their dependent family members;

H-2B workers and their dependent family members;

L-1 workers and their dependent family members; and

J exchange visitors who are participating in one of the following exchange categories ‒ intern, trainee, teacher, camp counselor, au pair, or summer work/travel program ‒ and their dependent family members.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO THE AU PAIR PROGRAM?

Au pair programs in the United States are operated by the State Department. According to the State Department, 20,000 au pairs joined American families in 2019.  The family provides a room and board and estimated $200.00 weekly stipend; the au pair may work up to 45 hours per week providing childcare and receive college credit. These programs provide a lower cost option for families who need childcare at irregular hours or time periods. Many military families depend on these programs to provide childcare during deployments and/or schedule conflicts. The au pair programs have long offered stability for military families.  The Proclamation has temporarily frozen the au pair program through December 31, 2020.

Currently there is a loophole for families that already have an au pair in the U.S.; they may be eligible for an extension program that allows au pairs to remain legally in the US on their J1 visa for 2 to 6 months due to COVID 19. See U.S Department of State, Exchange Visitor Program, available at https://j1visa.state.gov/covid-19/ (last visited July 8, 2020). Unfortunately, families with pending applications are stuck waiting until the ban is lifted, leaving families scrambling to find childcare when options are already sparse because of the COVID 19 pandemic.

If you are affected and want to make a difference contact your local U.S. Senator and/or U.S. Congressman and inform them of how this Proclamation has affected your family.

Mrs. Ramirez graduated from the University of Florida with a B.A. in Political Science. She then attended the Florida Coastal School of Law where she received her Juris Doctorate. While there, she received a certificate for legal research, writing and drafting. This certificate allowed Mrs. Ramirez to hone her legal analysis, legal writing and oral argumentation, making her uniquely qualified to zealously advocate for her clients’ best interests in her family immigration law practice.

During her time in law school, she was a three-time National Moot Court Champion. She won the National Latino Law Students Association Moot Court Competition, the Child Welfare and Adoption Law Moot Court Competition, and the Charleston National Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition. Mrs. Ramirez is a member of the Florida Bar, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the AILA Central Florida Chapter, the AILA AL-GA Chapter and the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division. In addition to family immigration law, she specializes in removal defense.