On April 1st, 2020, The United States Government made the cruel and unethical decision to discontinue issuance of all nonimmigrant visas to Lao citizens and nationals applying in Laos in accordance with section 243(d) of The Immigration and Nationality Act. This decision was made as the result of the failure of both governments to reach a diplomatic solution pertaining to Lao nationals who were subject to final orders of removal from The United States. 

Subsequently, a substantial number of Lao citizens and nationals trying to unite with U.S. Citizen family members in The United States, i.e., spouses, children, mothers, fathers, etc., have been denied issuance of their family based visas. In most cases, these individuals and their U.S. citizen family members followed the proper procedures required by the USCIS, NVC and Department of Homeland Security, and many have gotten as far as having  their visa petitions approved by the U.S. consulate in Vientiane, Laos. Unfortunately, these efforts to immigrate lawfully have been thwarted by the inability of two governments to reach an agreement through diplomatic channels. As a result of these punitive measures, U.S. citizens and their family members have been unjustly separated, which has led to extreme emotional hardship and countless other unfortunate consequences for all parties involved. 

This petition has been initiated by the U.S. citizens whose lives and livelihoods have been severely and adversely affected by the unintended consequences caused by the imposition of section 243(d) of The Immigration and Nationality Act on The Lao P.D.R. We strongly encourage The Office of The White House and DOHS to review the current sanction, reconsider it's intention, and recognize the serious ramifications it is having on U.S. citizens and their families both at home and abroad.