COVID-19/Coronavirus, Immigration

U.S. Department of State Announces Suspension of Visa Services in Most Countries Worldwide

March 19, 2020

Document layered with small American flag and blue pen.

The U.S. Department of State announced on March 18, 2020, that it has suspended all routine visa services, including immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments, in most countries worldwide. It is not yet known how long the suspension will remain in effect. Embassies and consulates will continue to provide urgent and emergency visa services as resources allow. Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fees may be applied to a future appointment in the country where it was paid within one year from the date of payment. The suspension of visa services means that visa issuance will likely be postponed unless the embassy or consulate deems the visa issuance an emergency. The suspension does not affect the visa waiver program, the Department of State said.

A number of U.S. embassies and consulates have announced appointment cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of State has compiled a list of country specific information related to the coronavirus on its website.

The suspension of visa processes at embassies and consulates does not impact the ability to apply for extension of visa status for individuals already inside the United States.

Ogletree Deakins’ Immigration Practice Group will continue to monitor developments with respect to the policy changes and will post updates on our Immigration blog and in the firm’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center as additional information becomes available. Critical information for employers is also available via the firm’s webinar programs.

Enforceability of Employer’s Prohibition on Firearms Rests Primarily on State Law

Last month, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that Oklahoma laws supporting the right of individuals to possess firearms in locked vehicles on company property are not preempted by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act, and therefore are enforceable. That decision rested on the facts that the Oklahoma state statutes were instituted

Man talking to woman while writing on notepad, framed by justice scale on desk.

New Jersey Senate Introduces “Lilly Ledbetter” Bill

On May 14, 2012, a bill (S1933) was introduced in the Senate that would track the federal “Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009,” as well as the New Jersey Supreme Court’s holding in Alexander v. Seton Hall University, 204 N.J. 219 (2010). The legislation provides that each discriminatory compensation decision or other employment practice that violates the NJLAD occurs anew with each subsequent paycheck the employee receives that reflects the employer’s initial underlying discriminatory pay practice.

Alaska Issues COVID-19 Mandates to Clarify Restrictions on Religious Gatherings and to Address Non-urgent and Elective Medical Procedures

Alaska has joined a growing number of states addressing the thorny issue of the size and density of religious gatherings during the COVID-19 health crisis. Like other states, Alaska has attempted to balance the constitutional rights of free exercise of religion and peaceable assembly with legitimate public health concerns warranting the practice of social distancing.

Recommended Reading

Enforceability of Employer’s Prohibition on Firearms Rests Primarily on State Law

New Jersey Senate Introduces “Lilly Ledbetter” Bill

Alaska Issues COVID-19 Mandates to Clarify Restrictions on Religious Gatherings and to Address Non-urgent and Elective Medical Procedures