US MISSION ENFORCES TRUMP BAN
Issuing of visas to citizens of 7 nations suspended; Blow to Trump as court stays move to deport people
dubai — The US Mission in the UAE has announced it will suspend issuing visas to citizens of the seven countries mentioned in the executive order passed by President Donald Trump.
Tweeting from its official handle, @USAinUAE, the mission said: “US visa issuance to citizens of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen has been suspended until further notification. If you are a national or dual national of one of the listed countries, please do not schedule a visa appointment or pay any visa fees. If you already have an appointment scheduled, please DO NOT ATTEND your appointment as we will not be able to proceed with a visa interview.”
Following travel chaos on Saturday, a federal judge in Brooklyn, New York, issued an emergency stay that temporarily blocks the US government from sending people out of the country after they have landed at a US airport with valid visas.
President Trump’s executive order has had a ripple effect on airline and airport operations.
According to a Reuters report, Emirates airline has said that it had to change its flight attendant and pilot rosters. Etihad, for its part, said it will apply restrictions on its US-bound flights “effective immediately”, and that passengers travelling to the US will need a permanent residency card or diplomatic visa to be able to travel.
Travel agents in Dubai told Khaleej Times that the visa ban will impact businesses here. “We have had many of our clients asking questions as they are concerned about how this will impact what used to be a straight-forward travel booking,” said Priya Saxena, operations manager at Cozmo Travel.
dubai — The US Mission in the UAE will be suspending issuing of visas to citizens of the seven countries mentioned in the executive order passed by President Donald Trump.
The mission said on its official Twitter account: “US visa issuance to citizens of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen has been suspended until further notification. If you are a national or dual national of one of the listed countries, please do not schedule a visa appointment or pay any visa fees.
“If you already have an appointment scheduled, please DO NOT ATTEND your appointment as we will not be able to proceed with a visa interview,” the tweet added. “Please note, official government travel or travel on behalf of designated international organizations is not subject to this suspension.”
US officials could not be reached for comment by Khaleej Times on Sunday.
Airlines make roster changes
Emirates Airline, for its part, said the airline had to change its flight attendant and pilot rosters following the executive order, but added that — because of its diverse workforce — that the impact of the roster changes would be minimal. The news rules, it noted, apply both to passengers and crew members.
Emirates currently operates flights to 11 American cities, including New York City, Washington DC and Los Angeles, and is planning to add a 12th destination in March.
“The recent change to the US entry requirements for nationals of seven countries applies to all travellers and flight operations crew,” Reuters quoted a spokeswoman as having said in e-mailed comments. “We have made the necessary adjustments to our crew to comply with the latest requirements.”
Reuters added that a separate spokeswoman later said by phone that the impact of the roster changes on the airline would be minimal due to its diverse workforce.
Etihad, for its part, said it will apply restrictions on its US-bound flights “effective immediately”, and that passengers travelling to the US will need a permanent residency card or diplomatic visa to be able to travel. A Qatar Airways spokeswoman directed Reuters to a statement on its website that said passengers would need a green card or diplomatic visa to enter the US. Emirates and Etihad have a similar statement on their websites.
Dubai Airports, the operator of the world’s busiest airport for international travel, said it is “monitoring the situation”.
It directed customers with questions on the new visa policies to the US Customs and Border Protection website or their booking agent.