Muslim and African Travel Ban Ends Under New Biden Administration

Although originally touted as a 90-day restriction on immigration, the Trump travel ban has kept apart thousands of immigrant families from 13 countries for nearly four long years. Now that the Biden administration has reversed much of this ban, the State Department will develop plans to reconsider thousands of visa denials that were issued under this discriminatory ban.

Here are a few more details on the Biden administration’s reversal of the ban.

On January 20, 2021, the Biden administration issued a proclamation to end the Muslim & Africa Travel Bans. On January 22, 2021, the Department of State explained how it will address immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing previously subject to the bans.

Biden’s Proclamation revokes the following Trump-era proclamations and order, including the two proclamations governing the Muslim and African travel bans:

The Proclamation requires all Embassies and Consulates to resume visa processing and provide the President, within 45 days, with:

Information about the number of people being considered for waivers under the bans and a plan for expeditiously adjudicating their pending visa applications.
A proposal for reconsidering those individuals whose immigrant (permanent) visa applications were denied pursuant to the bans.
A proposal to consider whether to reopen immigrant visa applications that were denied due to the bans and whether to charge additional fees.
A plan for the Department of State to expedite consideration of those denied visa applications.
A plan to ensure that visa applicants are not prejudiced as a result of a previous visa denial due to the bans.

This information is provided as an educational service. Consult with an attorney for your specific circumstances. For a comprehensive evaluation of your immigration options, you are invited to call us at 214-393-4917, or complete our contact form below.