Trump Travel Ban: Visa applicants must prove "close" family/business ties
What's the story
The White House has unveiled a new set of criteria for visa applicants from six predominantly Muslim countries and all refugees subject to President Donald Trump's travel ban. The new criteria requires applicants to have "close" family or business tie to America. This comes after a Supreme Court ruling to partially restore Trump's executive order which was suspended by lower courts.
26 Jun 2017
Trump's travel ban: US Supreme Court allows part of it
On June 26, the US Supreme Court let the Trump enforce its 90-day ban on travelers coming from the six Muslim-dominated countries. The SC has only partially reinstated the ban, and will hear the full case in October. Earlier, Trump had said that the administration will make the ban effective within 72 hours of it being cleared.
Details
Who all come under "close" family criteria?
Visa applicants from the six countries must prove they have a parent, spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law or sibling in the US, according to new guidelines provided to US embassies and consulates. Grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers-laws and sisters-in-law, fiancees or other extended family members are not designated as close relationships.
'Bona fide relationship'
New criteria in line with exemptions in Supreme Court ruling
Since the Supreme Court order, US embassies and consulates have been awaiting instructions on how to implement the reinstated ban which will come into effect on June 29. The ruling exempted applicants from the ban if they prove a 'bona fide relationship' with a US person or entity. The court only issued broad guidelines, leaving it to government lawyers to define such relationships.