Update: March 16, 2017
The revised Executive Order, which was supposed to go into effect today, was blocked last night by a federal judge in Hawaii.
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Update: March 7, 2017
A revised Executive Order was announced on March 6, 2017 and will go into affect on March 16, 2017.
- It imposes a 90-day ban on the issuance of new visas for citizens of six majority-Muslim nations (Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Iran, Somalia and Syria).
The ban explicitly exempts legal permanent residents, people who are dual citizens of another country that isn’t banned, foreign nationals traveling for diplomatic purposes and those who already have a valid visa to come to the U.S.
- All refugee admission to the U.S. will be halted for 120 days, and the U.S. will not accept more than 50,000 refugees in a year, down from the 110,000 cap set by the Obama administration.
- People can apply for waivers to the order, including those previously admitted to the United States for “a continuous period of work, study, or other long-term activity,” those with “significant business or professional obligations” and those seeking to visit or live with family. This is a huge positive for international students with plans to study abroad in the U.S. or who are currently studying in the U.S. from the six affected nations with plans to travel to and from their home country.
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We know that for many people, word of the travel bans imposed by President Trump on January 27, 2017 have caused anxiety and concerns about upcoming student travel plans.
As a company that helps many international students travel to the U.S. for leisure and study, and students and youth travel all over the world, StudentUniverse will walk through many of the questions and concerns that may be on your mind. If there is something we missed, please leave a comment and we will get back to you as quickly as we can.
What countries are most directly impacted by the travel ban?
Citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Libya, Sudan or Yemen, regardless of your religious affiliation or legal status in the USA, will be most directly affected by the travel ban.
How long does the travel ban last?
Refugees from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia are barred from entering the United States for at least 120 days (through May 27, 2017). Immigrants and nonimmigrants (visitors) from those countries are unable to enter for 90 days (through April 27, 2017).
If I am a citizen of one of these seven countries and have a green card, can I enter the U.S.?
If you are a citizen of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Libya, Sudan or Yemen and hold a U.S. green card, you will only be permitted to enter the US on a case by case basis over the next 90 days.
If I am a citizen of one of these seven countries and am a US citizen or permanent resident, can I enter the U.S.?
Yes, you will be permitted to enter the U.S.
If I am a citizen of one of these seven countries WITH a valid visitor visa, will I be permitted to enter the U.S.?
If you also hold citizenship and a valid passport for the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada or New Zealand WITH a valid visitor visa, you will be permitted to enter the U.S.
If I am not a dual citizen and my travel plans are impacted, what should I do?
If you do not hold dual citizenship and your travel plans get disrupted, contact the airline for re-accommodation and refunding.
If I am a citizen of one of these seven countries and leave the U.S. for vacation, study, business or an emergency, will I be able to re-enter the U.S.?
If you leave the U.S. for ANY reason, you may not be allowed to re-enter for 90-120 days (or longer).
If the changes to immigration rulings affect you, confirm your status with the closest US embassy or consulate (in writing if possible).
I am a refugee, can I enter the U.S.?
For the next 120 days, refugees from any nation cannot enter the U.S.
I hold a valid ESTA, can I enter the U.S.?
Citizens of visa waiver countries holding a valid ESTA can enter the U.S.
I am a student studying in the U.S. on a student visa, what does this mean for me?
While F-1 visas are not directly impacted, students from the seven aforementioned countries on an F-1 student visa should not leave the U.S. during the ban period as they may not be able to re-enter the U.S. before April 27.
I was accepted to study abroad in the U.S. and have plans to arrive between now and April 27 from one of the seven affected countries, will I be allowed to enter the U.S. on my student visa?
The ban affects all student visas, including study abroad students.
I have upcoming travel plans that require a visa, what does this mean for me?
If you have upcoming travel plans that require a visa, visa applications will likely take longer to process than normal, so allow as much time as you can for processing. You will also likely want to obtain a five year visa instead of a one year visa, if possible.
I heard executive orders around H1-B visas could be next?
We expect to know more in 90 days about what changes, if any, will be made to H-1B, J-1 and OPT visa legislation/allocation. We will provide updates here as they become available.
StudentUniverse exists to make global experiences possible. We wholeheartedly support the world being an open book for travel, adventure and exploration. While you should stay apprised on the legalities around the ban to ensure that your travel plans are not affected, we hope that your sense of adventure is not. Travel opens your eyes, makes you more tolerant, helps you celebrate diversity and work with people who are different than you – the world could use all of that right now. Travel on.