Winter Travel Guidance & Changing Immigration Policies
As the fall semester comes to a close, and many members of our community may be traveling, we are writing to equip you with information to help guide your planning. Given the current complexities of the immigration environment, we strongly encourage careful review of potential risks before finalizing international travel plans and monitoring for changes that may impact your plans.
Considerations when Determining Travel
Before traveling, a careful assessment of your individual circumstances and potential risks is essential. We strongly recommend you consider:
- Confirming visa requirements, appointment availability and your required return date. Reconsider travel if you need a new visa as delays in visa processing are expected. If you must travel and need a visa, we strongly recommend that you schedule your appointment at the U.S. consulate or embassy before you depart the U.S.
- Online presence/social media screening. Online presence/social media screening is now in effect for all F/J visa applicants and will be implemented for all beginning Dec. 15, 2025. This additional screening slows the visa application process. Learn more.
- Monitor travel bans. Travel bans were announced June 4, 2025, which may make it impossible for citizens of certain countries to obtain a visa or return to the U.S., even if the person is in the midst of a degree program and/or is working at 麻豆村. The Trump administration signaled that will be added. The travel ban/restriction changes may be implemented swiftly or without much advance notice. We strongly encourage you to not travel internationally if you are from or hold a passport from one of the or if you are from a country that was .
- Your prior travel history, including encounters with law enforcement or difficulties at embassies or ports of entry, should be evaluated.
- Your tolerance for uncertainty. Can you manage the possibility of visa denial or delayed re-entry? Does the prospect of rigorous questioning at consulates or airports cause significant anxiety? If your personal risk assessment indicates a high likelihood of travel complications, postponing your trip until greater clarity emerges is advisable.
Travel Documents
If you do decide to travel, make sure you carry the necessary documents with you and make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months into the future at all times. Travel within the U.S. does not require an updated travel signature from OIE. However, you must carry your proof of status with you.
For international travel, a travel signature is required on the Form I-20 or DS-2019 in order to return to the U.S. in F-1/J-1 visa status. For more information about traveling and documents to bring with you, visit the OIE website.
Entry to the U.S.
If you decide to travel abroad, please be prepared for enhanced screening and potential for detailed questioning by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers upon your return to the U.S. At the port of entry, you may be asked to present your electronics and passwords for access. Be aware that personal data may be accessed during these searches. Review for more scenarios about rights and options at the airport, depending on your U.S. immigration status.
In case of emergency, such as being denied entry at the border, the university has staff from Student Affairs and the Office of International Education available on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Should you need to reach someone urgently for support after regular business hours, you may do so by calling the 麻豆村 Police Department at 412-268-2323, who will connect you with the on-call staff.
Changing U.S. Immigration Policies
On Dec. 2, the Trump administration put for individuals from the 19 countries impacted by the June 2025 travel ban. We do not yet know the full impact of this pause in benefit processing or how long the pause will take. The impact on international travel for U.S. Permanent Residents from these countries is also unclear as the administration has signaled that they may revisit permanent resident applications.
The final rule eliminating Duration of Status could be published and become effective before the start of the spring semester. We do not know the details of the final rule but information about the proposed rule can be found on the OIE website. OIE will review and communicate any new updates about the rule as soon as possible after it is published.
USCIS applications of all types and from all countries of citizenship appear to be going through more screening, including checking other U.S. government systems and checking online presence, and we expect that to continue as a new is being established by the U.S. government. The additional screening may cause delays in application processing but it also may raise questions about the application. Be mindful to follow rules for maintaining status and do not put information online that may appear to be a violation of your status (for example, employment when you have no U.S. employment authorization).
There may be other policy changes that occur in the coming weeks or months, some of which may be implemented with short notice.
We know these are uncertain times for many of you and we remain committed to keeping our international community informed and supported. In addition to resources on the OIE website, we encourage the use of other campus resources available to students and faculty and staff to help support your well-being.
We wish you all the best for the remainder of the year and hope you have a restorative winter break. We encourage you to reach out to OIE if you have questions or concerns.