Fwd: [CSC - Faculty & Staff] Fwd: State Department Makes it Harder to Get "NIE" Waiver to Enter U.S.

[Tiffany Barnes]

In case you need this info.

Tiffany Barnes
Professor of Computer Science
NC State University
Tiffany...@gmail.com
http://eliza.csc.ncsu.edu

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Linda Honeycutt <lsho...@ncsu.edu>
Date: Fri, Mar 5, 2021 at 10:46 AM
Subject: [CSC - Faculty & Staff] Fwd: State Department Makes it Harder to Get "NIE" Waiver to Enter U.S.
To: CSC Faculty and Staff <csc-facu...@lists.ncsu.edu>

Faculty and Staff,

Please see below with reference to NIE policy.  George and Barbara, please send this to the students as well.

Thanks,

Linda

Linda Honeycutt

University Program Manager

North Carolina State University

Department of Computer Science

Box 8206

Engineering Building II, Room 3310

890 Oval Drive

Raleigh, North Carolina  27695-8206

919-515-7926

919-515-7896 (FAX)

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Shannon Williams <smf...@ncsu.edu>
Date: Fri, Mar 5, 2021 at 10:20 AM
Subject: Fwd: State Department Makes it Harder to Get "NIE" Waiver to Enter U.S.
To: Exec.comm <group-engr...@ncsu.edu>, ajac...@ncsu.edu <ajac...@ncsu.edu>, Bonny Downing <bjdo...@ncsu.edu>, Candice Reid Byrd <candic...@ncsu.edu>, Charles Whittington <cwh...@ncsu.edu>, Christiana Boyle <cab...@ncsu.edu>, Clay Gosnell <chgo...@ncsu.edu>, debbie_...@ncsu.edu <dall...@ncsu.edu>, Demonica Hicks <drh...@ncsu.edu>, Ginger McGlamery <gwmc...@ncsu.edu>, Helen DiPietro <hdi...@ncsu.edu>, Jacqueline Bond <jlb...@ncsu.edu>, Karen Autry <kda...@ncsu.edu>, Karen Melton <klmo...@ncsu.edu>, Kimberly Dickens <krdi...@ncsu.edu>, Kimberly Zak <km...@ncsu.edu>, Krute, Linda <ldk...@ncsu.edu>, LINDA SAUNDERS HONEYCUTT <lsho...@ncsu.edu>, Madelene Brooks <madelen...@ncsu.edu>, Marcia Margotta <mma...@ncsu.edu>, Meghan Johnston <meghan_...@ncsu.edu>, Meghan Metcalfe <mme...@ncsu.edu>, melody_...@ncsu.edu <mswo...@ncsu.edu>, Michael Walker <mewa...@ncsu.edu>, Michelle Bailey <dmba...@ncsu.edu>, Paula Hubbell <pjhu...@ncsu.edu>, Rebecca McLennan <rhmc...@ncsu.edu>, Shannon Plummer-White <snpl...@ncsu.edu>, Shawnda Hill <smh...@ncsu.edu>, srba...@ncsu.edu <srba...@ncsu.edu>, Stefani Buster <srbu...@ncsu.edu>, Tanzania Ray <tmr...@ncsu.edu>, Teresa Martin-Moss <tlma...@ncsu.edu>

FYI - please share with applicable faculty and staff.

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Jill Blitstein <jmgu...@ncsu.edu>
Date: Thu, Mar 4, 2021 at 11:17 AM
Subject: State Department Makes it Harder to Get "NIE" Waiver to Enter U.S.
To: IE Dept Contacts <group-iede...@ncsu.edu>
Cc: David Perryman <dmpe...@ncsu.edu>, Elizabeth James <eaja...@ncsu.edu>

Everyone,

On March 2, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced a new policy, effective immediately, that makes it significantly harder for nonimmigrant workers (such as H-1Bs) to obtain a National Interest Exception (NIE) under the European COVID-related travel bans. The countries affected are the European Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.

New NIE Policy

Eligibility for work and business travel NIEs for these specific COVID-related travel bans has been narrowed to those people "seeking to provide vital support for critical infrastructure." The prior standard was more broad and allowed people to qualify if they would 'substantially contribute to the U.S. economy.' Currently there is no exact definition of what DOS means by "vital support for critical infrastructure," so we will have to wait and see how this new policy will be implemented.

No previously issued NIEs will be revoked, but any visa applications where an NIE is needed will now be reviewed using the new criteria, even if the appointment was already scheduled (but not completed) before this new change was announced.

Exceptions

DOS has stated that it will continue to issue NIEs for humanitarian travel, travel related to national security or public health, and travel by students (F-1 or J-1) or academics. While this is good news for us in general, not all of our H-1B employees will be considered an "academic" just because they work at NC State. The consular officer will make a decision about eligibility for an NIE by reviewing the job title and duties, among other things, and just the fact that NC State is the employer does not mean that all of our employees will be exempt from this new policy.

Other Travel Considerations

NIEs cannot be granted while a foreign national is inside the U.S., so please be aware of this if any foreign national employees are planning any travel abroad, regardless of whether they need to apply for a new visa stamp or not. They need to be prepared for the possibility of being delayed or even prevented from returning to the U.S. for an extended period of time, either because of this new policy change, or because of local COVID and/or reduced consular/embassy staffing conditions and backlogs at the location at which they are applying for either an NIE and/or a visa stamp in their passport.

As a reminder, even foreign nationals with valid employment-related visa stamps already in their passports MUST obtain an approved NIE to return to the U.S. after travel from an affected European country - which again includes the Schengen Area, the U.K. and Ireland.

The "H-1B travel ban" (implemented by the prior president last June) is still in effect, although currently it is scheduled to end on March 31, in just a few weeks. 

Additionally there is a new CDC requirement that everyone returning on a flight to the U.S. is required to have a negative COVID-19 test before boarding the airplane (see the first light yellow box at the top of the webpage), and this requirement applies to everyone entering the U.S.  

International Employment Travel Guidance

IE continues to advise against international travel, since the pandemic is still not under control and new variations of the virus are still developing and spreading. The university has restrictions on work-related travel, and the CDC also continues to advise against travel (see second orange-yellow box on this webpage). 

If you have an questions or concerns about this message, please contact me directly at jill_bl...@ncsu.edu, or the IE team member with whom you normally communicate. Alternatively, you can send a message to our general email inbox at internation...@ncsu.edu.

Regards, 

Jill Blitstein

IE Manager

--

Shannon F. Williams
Assistant Dean for Personnel and Administration

College of Engineering

North Carolina State University

915 Partners Way

Fitts-Woolard Hall, Rm 4261

NCSU Campus Box 7901
Raleigh, NC 27695

Phone: 919-515-8521
smf...@ncsu.edu

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