Don't wind up local assets yet amid US immigration visa freeze, warns attorney

 

By Nakinskie Robinson 

 

 

Immigration attorney Wayne Golding is urging Jamaicans who are deep in the immigrant visas process, not to wind up their activities and local assets following Wednesday's announcement of a freeze on processing for 75 countries. 

 

The suspension by the US affects 12 CARICOM countries, and excludes Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. 

 

Mr. Golding, who is based in the US, says it has come as shock to many that Jamaica, with some of the hardest working people, would be included on the list. 

 

However, he is urging locals to be cautious and strategic with their assets.  

 

"If you're in this processing, do not sell your house. Do not quit your job. Do not stop going to school. Do not start giving away your belongings because until that application is fully approved, you should not be changing your life or your lifestyle. And this is where I think many people are concerned that they are now stuck in a phase. But like we always say, you just need to sit back, relax, and see what the rules are because we don't know what these rules, new rules are going to be, what the process is going to be. But we have to wait until those things are made clear by the US authorities, and even whether there's any appellate possibility if you get a denial based on these grounds," he advised. 

 

Mr. Golding added that other policy changes that do not favour foreign nationals may be in the pipeline as the Donald Trump administration has proven to be unpredictable. 

 

"Even when this president was in power before, there were several things that they tried to put into motion. But unfortunately, for them, they ran out of time. For example, we're going to probably see more re-examination of naturalised citizens. We know that they have a task force that are going to be re-looking at these applications.... We can also see them looking at different visa categories for sponsorship to the United States and whether they're going to continue," he warned.

 

Mr. Golding has urged those who are in the process to arm themselves with an immigration attorney before January 21, when the suspension takes effect.