US President Donald Trump’s new ‘travel ban’ has come into effect.
In a watered down version of the original, visitors from six mainly Muslim countries and all refugees must have ‘close’ family or business ties in the US to qualify for a new visa.
The new rules will apply to people from Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The US Supreme Court partially restored Trump’s travel ban on Monday. The executive order had been blocked by lower courts in the US since February.
The new rules will apply for the next 90 days. Travelers from the six listed countries and all refugees will only qualify for a new visa if they have a parent, spouse, child, son or daughter-in-law, sibling – including step- or half-siblings – already living in the US.
Those with only grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, in-laws or extended family and grandchildren will not qualify.
However the Administration reversed a decision to now allow fiancés be included as ‘close family members.’
Dual nationals who travel on their passport from the unaffected country will be allowed entry, as will those who can prove they have a genuine business relationship in the US.
The Supreme Court said it will make a final ruling on the travel ban in October.
The state of Hawaii has again called into question the government’s interpretation and said its refusal to allow grandparents and other relatives as an acceptable family relationship is ‘a plain violation of the Supreme Court’s command.’
Asked how banning grandparents would make America safer, a US official declined to comment.
