US: Trump administration extends visa ban to non-immigrants

The Trump administration is extending a ban on green cards issued outside the United States until the end of the year and adding many temporary work visas to the freeze, including those used heavily by technology companies and multinational corporations.

A senior administration official who spoke to reporters Monday on condition of anonymity says the ban will stay in effect until the end of this year in an effort to free up jobs in an economy hammered by the coronavirus.

The administration estimates the measures will free up to 525,000 jobs for Americans.

The ban on new visas applies to H-1B visas, which are used by major American technology companies, H-2B visas for nonagricultural seasonal workers, J-1 visas for exchange students and L-1 visas for managers of multinational corporations.