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Letter to the Community January 2017
Regarding President's Executive Order on Immigration
Contact: Stephen Sechrist
Summary
A message from Stephen Sechrist, Director, International Students, Scholars & Programs, to international students, scholars, faculty and staff
Full Description
29 January 2017
Dear students, scholars, faculty and staff:
As many of you know, President Trump issued an Executive Order on Friday evening titled "Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Attacks by Foreign Nationals". This Executive Order limits entry to the US for citizens of certain countries, suspends the refugee program, and requires visa interviews for all applicants, among other provisions. This is one of several executive orders recently published.
I understand there has been confusing information out there about the new executive order and so I am sending this email to explain the points that are most relevant to you as members of the international community. Please note that this is not a summary or interpretation of the full executive order. More detailed information will be on our website as the situation develops. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. We are here to support you.
1. Entry restrictions for citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Entry to the US is banned for 90 days for non-immigrants (i.e. visa holders such as B2, F1, etc) and immigrants (green card holders)* who are citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
- The Executive Order does not require citizens of these countries who are already here to leave the US.
- If you are a citizen of one of the countries listed above and were planning to travel internationally in the next 3 months, please be aware that you will not likely be able to reenter until at least April 27, 2017.
- Persons travelling on A, G, and NATO visas are not subject to the ban.
- Please contact our office if you are a citizen of one of the countries above and are considering international travel (including spring and summer break travel, study abroad, study away, or internships/service learning abroad).
*Update: The White House announced on Sunday (1/29) that the ban would no longer apply to permanent residents (green card holders) who are citizens of these countries. However, the White House also added that Customs and Border Protection may put persons entering the US under additional scrutiny and questioning if they had traveled to any of the above named countries.
Note: According to the Executive Order, additional countries can be added to this list if their governments fail to provide the Departments of State and Homeland Security the requested information for visa adjudicaton within 60 days of the request from the Department. We will update you if there are changes to this list.
2. All visa applications will now require a visa interview. Regardless of your country of citizenship, you will now need to get a visa interview as part of the visa application process. In the past, one could often get a waiver of the visa interview (e.g. if you were renewing a visa). That is no longer true.
- If you are planning to travel internationally and need a new visa, you must plan for extra wait time. You might also see consulates limiting or prioritizing visa interviews for citizens and residents of that country.
3. Refugee Program suspended for 120 days: The refugee program will be reviewed for security measures.
- If you have family or friends who were in the process of applying for refugee status, that will be delayed by at least 120 days. We can direct you to a qualified immigration attorney if you need assistance with this.
4. Syrian Refugee Program suspended indefinitely
- If you have family or friends who were in the process of applying for refugee status, that will be delayed indefinitely. We can direct you to a qualified immigration attorney if you need assistance with this.
A summary of the Executive Order and what it means for members of the international community will be posted on our website early this week.
We are here to support you. If you have questions, concerns, or need anything, please do not hesitate to contact us.