President Donald Trump has taken steps to severely limit immigration into the United States. From the controversial practice of separating parents from children at the border, ending Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and building a border wall, Trump has made immigration a major policy priority. Consistent with these policies, the administration has cited COVID-19 as another reason to bring various immigration programs to a halt. Three of the major immigration programs, family-based, employment-based and humanitarian-based immigration, have been affected by sweeping changes announced since the pandemic emerged, and immigration practitioners have had to keep pace.

Family-Based

As background information, there are a limited number of ways to obtain lawful status in the United States. One such way is through the family-based system, whereby a close family member (a spouse, parent, child or sibling) submits a petition for their foreign national relative. Citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs), sometimes known as "green card" holders, are permitted to submit a petition for their relative. The process can take many years and thousands of dollars in filing fees. Often, the relative is required to attend a consular interview before the government grants an immigrant visa to enter the country. Due to visa backlogs and administrative processing, sometimes relatives are separated from each other for years.