It's the latter. You MAY be given an exemption, to travel, as you say, for work, but then you may not get back in, at least for many months...

However, far more importantly, those exemptions are rarely granted. I couldn't get one to go study a course in Sweden, as a personal example...

But see my reply to the parent comment below. I go into more detail there, to try and explain it, at least a bit...

It's so fucked, here, dude. I just... Can't explain how fucked it is. :-(