Travel Guidance
(Last updated: 30 July 2026)
Given the federal administration alongside anticipated and emerging changes to federal policy, we are providing practical guidance on:
Critical updates,
Countries facing heightened U.S.-Border Scrutiny,
Travel preparations,
Your rights as a union member & Brown Employee
Data & social media safety when crossing the U.S. border,
Potentially dealing with federal agents.
Who is this for?
Please note that this advice is particularly for those of higher risk (eg: non-citizens, Palestinians, or social justice organizers). However, we must each judge our level of risk and risk-tolerance.
A note for citizen members: The travel ban, visa freezes, and OPT/status changes described below do not apply to U.S. citizens, and citizens cannot be denied re-entry to the U.S. However, citizens can still be affected through secondary screening and device searches at the border (see our Data Security & Social Media Safety guidance).
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CRITICAL UPDATES
DO NOT use advance parole to travel, regardless of your country of origin. Entry on advance parole is discretionary, and individuals—especially those from the affected countries—risk being denied re-entry. This is high priority guidance from our immigration attorney.
End of "Duration of Status" for F-1/J-1 effective September 15, 2026: DHS has finalized a rule replacing open-ended "Duration of Status" with a fixed admission period tied to your I-20/DS-2019, capped at four years. If you travel and re-enter on or after September 15, 2026, you will receive a new I-94 with a hard "Admit Until" date instead of D/S. Practical effects:
If your I-20/DS-2019 extension is filed and processed before September 15, 2026, your program is extended as usual.
If it's processed on or after that date, you must separately file a formal Extension of Stay (EOS) with USCIS. This includes biometrics and social media screening, and can delay OPT applications.
Changing majors, changing institutions, or needing extra time past the 4-year window will now require USCIS approval rather than routine SEVIS handling.
Check your I-20/DS-2019 expiration date now, and talk to OISSS before booking fall travel if you're approaching your program end date.
Visa screening remains tightened: Mandatory social media vetting and reduced interview waivers for F, M, and J visa applicants, in place since mid-2025, remain the current baseline. Plan for in-person interviews and expect online-presence review as standard practice, not a temporary measure.
Green card adjustment of status now requires consular processing abroad: As of May 22, 2026, USCIS has stated that green card applicants must pursue adjustment of status through consular processing outside the United States, rather than filing Form I-485 domestically. This is a significant departure from prior practice and carries real re-entry risk. Consult an immigration attorney before initiating or continuing this process.
75-country immigrant visa freeze: As of January 21, 2026, the State Department has indefinitely paused issuing immigrant visas (the green-card track) to nationals of 75 countries and it includes countries not otherwise restricted (e.g. Brazil, Colombia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand). This does not affect nonimmigrant visas (F-1, J-1, H-1B, etc.), only green-card applications processed at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. If you or a family member has a pending immigrant visa application, expect an indefinite delay.
Nationals from PP 10949 / PP10998 Countries: Be prepared for potential interviews or additional questioning at the border, even with valid documentation. Nationals from these countries should be especially cautious about international travel if they have pending USCIS applications or entered the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021.
H-1B Visa Holders: If you are a H-1B visa holder, please review the presidential proclamation on H-1B workers (and related Q&A), and consult with your designated ISSS adviser before making any travel plans. In addition, please see our note below regarding social media vetting and the rescheduling of some interviews in the “Valid Visa” section.
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Countries fACING HEIGHTENED US-Border Scrutiny
Before traveling abroad, we advise that you consider: currently restricted, previously restricted, and potentially restricted countries.
Populations Which May Encounter Border Difficulties:
Currently restricted
“Full travel ban*” (All immigrant + nonimmigrant visas suspended): Afghanistan; Burkina Faso; Burma / Myanmar; Chad; Republic of the Congo; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Haiti; Iran; Laos; Libya; Mali; Niger; Palestine / Palestinian Authority; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Sudan; Sudan; Syria; Yemen
“Partial travel ban*” (Immigrant visas + B / F / J visas suspended): Angola; Antigua and Barbuda; Benin; Burundi; Côte d'Ivoire; Cuba; Dominica; Gabon; The Gambia; Malawi; Mauritania; Nigeria; Senegal; Tanzania; Togo; Tonga; Turkmenistan (immigrant visas only, not non-immigrant); Venezuela; Zambia; Zimbabwe
"Countries of particular concern**” (IRFA religious freedom designation): Burma / Myanmar; China; Cuba; Eritrea; Iran; Nicaragua; North Korea; Pakistan; Russia; Nigeria
“Special watch list***” (IRFA severe religious freedom violations): Algeria; Azerbaijan; Central African Republic; Comoros; Vietnam
Previously restricted (under Trump): Chad, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Venezuela, Yemen.
As of January 14, 2026, a U.S. Department of State memo indefinitely pauses issuance of immigrant visas for nationals from 75 different countries. This impacts applicants seeking permanent residence (‘immigrants’) and hence does not impact temporary visas (‘non-immigrants’) or adjudications of I-485 applications. This pause began January 21, 2026.
Impacted countries include: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
As of June 14, 2025, a U.S. State Department memo lists 36 additional countries whose nationals could face partial or full restrictions to entering the U.S. This is not yet official.
Potential ban: Angola; Antigua and Barbuda; Benin; Bhutan; Burkina Faso; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Côte D'Ivoire; Democratic Republic of Congo; Djibouti; Dominica; Ethiopia; Egypt; Gabon; The Gambia; Ghana; Kyrgyzstan; Liberia; Malawi; Mauritania; Niger; Nigeria; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Sao Tome and Principe; Senegal; South Sudan; Syria; Tanzania; Tonga; Tuvalu; Uganda; Vanuatu; Zambia; and Zimbabwe.
As of March 14, 2025, an internal Trump administration proposal lists 43 additional countries whose nationals could face partial or full restrictions to entering the U.S. This is not yet official.
Potential ban:
Red (all travel banned): Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen.
Orange (visa severely restricted): Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Turkmenistan.
Yellow (60 days to address concerns): Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Republic of Congo, Democratic, Republic of Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu, Zimbabwe.
For this proposed list, anyone having travelled to or through those countries may also face increased scrutiny.
*Please note, the June 9th date of this federal order was the effective date described under the initial restrictions under PP 10949. Those country groupings have since been updated and superseded by PP 10998 effective January 1, 2026. Refer to the current Full and Partial ban lists above.
**Some CPCs are designated by the Department of State, December 29, 2023 and others are redesignated by President Trump, October 31, 2025. CPC is designated by "systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom" under IRFA. This is a separate legal framework from travel bans—it triggers potential sanctions, not automatic visa restrictions.
***Last SWL update was by the Department of State on December 29, 2023. SWL is designated by "severe" violations falling short of the full CPC threshold. Like CPC, this is a religious freedom framework, not a visa/entry ban.
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TRAVEL PREPARATIONS
Make you sure that you have:
Essential Documents
Passport (valid for a minimum of 6 months) and a valid, unexpired visa with applicable immigration documents.
Enrollment/employment verification (Brown appointment letters or funding proof).
I-20/DS-2019 form with up-to-date travel signature (OISSS signatures are valid for 12 months and can be renewed via their dedicated gateway).
F-1 students on post-completion OPT or STEM OPT should carry the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and an employment verification or offer letter from the current or prospective employer in addition to above mentioned items.
J-1 students on post-completion Academic Training should carry extended DS-2019 with Academic Training notation and an employment verification or offer letter from the current or prospective employer.
H-1B and O-1 Scholars must carry a valid I-797 Approval Notice issued by USCIS. H-1B and O-1 scholars will want to travel with their most recent I-797 approval notice showing the validity dates of their O-1 or H-1B status.
Additional Documents Recommended by OISSS
Evidence of Financial Support: OISSS recommends that F/J nonimmigrants carry proof of the financial support and resources reflected on their Form I-20 or DS-2019.
Evidence of Current Semester's Enrollment (Student): F-1 and J-1 students should carry a letter certifying active student status and enrollment. The letter can be obtained from the Brown Registrar's Office in Page-Robinson Hall, 3rd Floor.
Evidence of Valid Appointment with Brown University (Scholar): J-1 Scholars should carry their official Brown University appointment letter.
If on Brown-related travel, students are required to submit a Safety Plan to all Brown High Risk countries through the travel registration process in TravelSafe.
If your documents are lost or stolen while inside or outside the U.S., follow the guidelines on our Lost or Stolen Travel Documents page. After returning to the U.S., review your Form I-94 arrival record to ensure that all information is correct. Read our Checking Your I-94 page for more details.
Preparations in Case of Emergency:
Make copies of all entry documents.
Document and memorize key emergency contacts.
Select a primary contact and furnish them with the contact details of family members, your attorney(s), and employer (in case you’re restricted to one phone call.)
Consider arranging legal representation in advance.
GLO Union members are eligible for a reimbursement from Brown of up to $750 in legal fees per fiscal year. (To do so, please go to UFunds, select ‘Graduate Student E-Gap Funds’, and then submit your expenses under ‘Nonimmigrant Graduate Student Assistance Funding Program’.
All Local 6516 union members have access to dedicated immigration and labor attorneys.
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YOUR RIGHTS AS A UNION MEMBER & BROWN EMPLOYEE
Under GLO’s collective bargaining agreement, if you are denied entry into the country grads are entitled to:
The Non-Citizen Immigration Fund (Article XII, Subsection 3)*
Immigration Leave (Article XII, Subsection 4; Article VII, Section D)
Remote work (Article XII, Subsection 5)
Re-employment under a different visa category (Article XII, Subsection 6)
Joint union and Brown support (Article XII, Subsection 7)
*Coverage has been updated to $750 per non-citizen worker.
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Actionable Recommendations for Data & social media Safety When Crossing the US Border
Please note, this advice is aimed at those of higher risk.
Essential Device Security - Before Crossing
Use strong encryption on all devices (phones, laptops, external drives) where possible
Disable biometric unlocking (face/fingerprint) and use strong passwords (13+ characters)
Consider using a "clean" device when traveling or at high-risk events
Enable multi-factor authentication on all accounts that offer it
Back-up essential data to encrypted storage before travel, remove it from your traveling devices, and then restore it when needed
Data Minimization - Before Crossing
Travel with minimal sensitive data, photos, and files to reduce risk exposure
Remove unnecessary union and organizing materials from devices before travel
Consider using temporary email accounts for travel periods
Use cloud storage services to access only what you need during travel
Avoid accessing union or political organizing platforms directly while traveling
Social Media & Communication Safety - Before Crossing
Audit your public social media presence before travel; temporarily deactivate if necessary
Use encrypted messaging apps (Signal with disappearing messages) for sensitive communications
Never use employer-provided devices or networks for union or political activities
Remove sensitive apps from devices before travel if possible
Consider logging out of browsers and apps that give you access to online content, and removing saved login credentials
Network Security - Before Crossing
Beware of untrusted networks including hotel WiFi and public hotspots
Consider using a VPN to encrypt your internet traffic when accessing sensitive information*
Consider using Tor Browser in high-risk situations where anonymity is needed
Avoid using public workstations or shared computers whenever possible
* Please note that some countries ban VPNs (Belarus, China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Oman, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, etc.). Please use discretion.
During Border Crossing
Power off devices completely before crossing borders(not sleep mode) – if you must turn them on, ensure that they are in airplane mode, with both wifi and bluetooth disabled, before crossing a border checkpoint
Know your legal rights regarding device searches at borders
Have emergency contact information written down separately from devices
Be aware that border agents may require device access with limited legal recourse
Post-Border Security
Change all passwords used during travel once you return
Wipe and restore devices used in high-risk areas before reconnecting to home networks
Check devices for signs of tampering or unauthorized access
Report any lost or stolen devices immediately to appropriate contacts
For detailed notes on data security and social media safety see here.
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We are here to support you. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
In Solidarity,
The Local International Committee, the GLO Communications Committee, and Staff