Suspension of Entry of Certain Chinese F and J Nonimmigrants
President Trump’s latest immigration proclamation, signed on May 29th, only bars Chinese nationals from entering the U.S. with a F or J visa if:
- the student is engaging in graduate-level study or research; and
- the student has been associated with entities that support the Chinese government’s “military-civil fusion strategy.”
The term “military-civil fusion strategy” means actions by or at the behest of the Chinese government to acquire and divert foreign technologies to incorporate into and advance the Chinese government’s military capabilities. The Secretary of State will be tasked with determining whether a student has been associated with such entities, but it is not clear how broadly the new ban will be interpreted.
This proclamation is extremely limited in scope and impact. Not only does it not impact Chinese F and J students currently present in the U.S., but it also does not apply to any undergraduate students. In addition, the proclamation provides numerous other exceptions (spouse of a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, members of the U.S. armed forces and their spouse and children, etc.).
The suspension takes effect on June 1st and a specific termination date was not provided.