Trump government to check on visa overstays

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

President Donald Trump after signing a memo on Monday has directed his administration to examine ways to minimize overstays focusing on immigration. Individuals from countries with high rates of short-term visa overstay will have limitations.

The rampant number of overstays has to be combated as per the memo’s direction to the secretaries of state and homeland security. Within 120 days the recommendations has to be made.

According to the nonpartisan Center for Migration Studies the visa overstays exceed illegal border crossings.

Countries whose citizens have high rates of overstays will be punished  and require foreign travelers post ‘admission bonds’ that would be paid back once they leave the country.

The rising number of Central American migrants entering the country has led to a renewed push on immigration.

There were complains that overstays were as problematic as undocumented immigrants who cross the southern border and in the period between 2016 to 2017 more than 1.2 million foreigners overstayed their visas.

Trump’s memorandum read as –  Although the United States benefits from legitimate (non-immigrant) entry, individuals who abuse the visa process and decline to abide by the terms and conditions of their visas, including their visa departure dates, undermine the integrity of our immigration system and harm the national interest.

Nearly half of the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants entered the country legally on visas  according to a report by Pew Research Center in 2006.

After issuing a report in January 2016 the federal government started closely tracking the visa overstays. The reports revealed the scope of the problem  stating that more than 600,000 foreigners overstayed their visas each year between 2016-2017.

The majority of new undocumented  immigration were legally entering considering the illegal immigration remained at historic low.

« Back to Page

• Trump govt reaches agreement, $25 billion bailout to prop up industry

• U.S. President cancels Global Entry enrollment for New York

• Trump asked to waive visa requirement for some Bahamians

• Trump Administration hikes Nigerian applicants’ visa fees

• Busiest skies in Europe to face disruption due to Trump’s UK visit