Executive Order restricting entry into the U.S. for nationals of seven countries may cause questions/concern for employees traveling abroad

Many clients have employees who need to travel for business or pleasure. The implementation of a new Executive Order this past weekend may cause employees to question whether they can or should travel abroad in the near future.

At the present time, the Executive Order only places re-entry restrictions on nationals or citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen (this would include individuals who have dual citizenship in one of those countries as well). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and administration officials have also confirmed that, absent significant information indicating a legal permanent resident (green card holder) is a threat to public safety, permanent residents from those seven countries may face additional questioning when seeking to re-enter the U.S. but will be admitted.

Persons who are not nationals or citizens of the above-named countries but who have traveled, or traveled frequently, to those countries may also face additional questioning when seeking readmission to the U.S. During interviews with the press this weekend, administration officials stated that other countries about whom the United States has security-related concerns could be added to the Executive Order.

This is a fluid situation which we will be monitoring closely. If employees or employers have questions about travel, they should reach out to our immigration team for assistance.