In recent weeks, the Trump administration has escalated immigration enforcement actions against noncitizens across the country. The Secretary of State cancelled the visas of multiple individuals for the stated reason that their continued presence in the country “would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”
More recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), began terminating the SEVIS immigration records of international students who are alleged to have criminal records or whose visas have been cancelled by the Department of State. In some cases, neither students nor their schools are being notified of these terminations.
UMBC conducts daily audits of all SEVIS immigration records it manages, and will inform affected students and scholars of changes to their immigration status as quickly as possible. Any UMBC student or employee who receives a communication from the U.S. Department Homeland Security or U.S. Department of State regarding the validity of their visa or immigration status should contact the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) immediately.
Any member of the campus community who has concerns that they may be at risk of status termination or visa revocation is encouraged to speak with a qualified immigration lawyer who specializes in deportation defense. Such attorneys may be located through the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
On April 9, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin considering antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests.
Executive Order 14159, issued on January 20, 2025, directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to require all noncitizens in the United States to register with the government, under section 262 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (8 U.S.C. § 1302).
While this law has been on the books for many years, until now there was no formal process to comply with the rule apart from mandatory fingerprinting when applying for a visa abroad or submitting certain applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In addition to the registration requirement itself, noncitizens are required to carry with them proof that they have satisfied the requirement, a policy known as the “document-carry” requirement. Both the new registration requirement and the document-carry requirement are set to go into effect on Friday, April 11, 2025.
Most people in F-1, J-1, or H-1B status already met the registration requirement when they applied for their visa and for entry to the United States. Proof of compliance with the registration requirement for most individuals is the Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record, which is available online for those admitted at a U.S. port of entry, or in paper form attached to the Approval Notice issued to those who filed a change of status application within the U.S.
Among those who will need to take action to meet the new registration requirement are those who last entered the U.S. before they were 14 years of age. At UMBC, this is likely limited to individuals in F-2, J-2, or H-4 dependent status, based on a parent’s principal F-1, J-1, or H-1B status. Anyone who is the parent of an F-2, J-2, or H-4 status child who is (1) under 14 years of age and (2) was not registered (or fingerprinted, if required) when applying for their visa must register within 30 days of arrival. And anyone who is the parent of an F-2, J-2, or H-4 status child who last entered the U.S. before reaching 14 years of age is now required to register their child with DHS within the 30 days following their child’s 14th birthday.
There is a helpful guide to this new requirement available here from Cornell Law School, Penn State Dickinson Law, and the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. Additional resources from NAFSA: Association of International Educators are available here, and a detailed write-up of the new requirements is available from Klasko Immigration Law Partners here.
In addition to meeting the registration requirement, all noncitizens in the U.S. are required to carry proof that they have done so. As noted above, for the vast majority of individuals, their I-94 Arrival/Departure Record is their official proof of compliance with the registration requirement. Individuals can and should download a copy of their most recent I-94 record as soon as they enter the U.S. after a trip abroad. In order to ensure compliance, individuals in F-1, J-1, H-1B, and other nonimmigrant statuses are required to carry a paper copy of their I-94 record with them at all times.
We recommend printing out a copy of your I-94 record from the online system and placing it in your wallet or purse so that it is always with you. In addition, individuals in F-1 status are advised to carry a copy of their Form I-20 with them, and those in J-1 status should carry a copy of their Form DS-2019 with them at all times. Lawful permanent residents (LPRs) should always carry their green card (Form I-551) with them. Additional information about the document-carry requirement is available from NAFSA here.
]]>UMBC’s Center for Global Engagement wishes to remind all international employees and visiting scholars planning international travel during Spring Break to review their travel documents ahead of their departure.
Individuals holding J-1 Exchange Visitor status (including J-1 Professors, Research Scholars, and Short-Term Scholars) must check the validity of the travel validation (signature) on the front of their Form DS-2019. Travel validations remain valid for one year for most J-1 categories, but are only valid for six months for Short-Term Scholars. Additionally, travelers must ensure that their J-1 visa remains valid through the date that they plan to return to the U.S. and passports should be valid for at least six months after the date of reentry.
Employees holding H-1B status must confirm that their H-1B visa will be valid on the date of their planned reentry into the U.S. If employees obtained H-1B status by changing from another nonimmigrant status from within the U.S., then it is important to remember that an H-1B visa is required for reentry to the U.S. after international travel. Additionally, travelers must ensure that their passports are valid for at least six months after the date of reentry.
As we have shared on our Immigration Policy Updates page, the U.S. Department of State recently made changes to its in-person interview policy. The Department's new policy makes the requirement for an in-person interview a discretionary decision by consular officers; travelers should not assume that their in-person interview will be waived.The in-person interview may add to the time to process a visa renewal. Additionally, visa appointment wait times can fluctuate drastically without warning.
For these reasons, anyone whose visa has expired should carefully consider these factors in planning any potential international travel. Before departing the U.S., travelers without valid visas should work with the U.S. embassy or consulate in their travel destination to determine if they are required to appear for an in-person interview. If an in-person interview is required, travelers should secure an appointment before departing the U.S. We strongly recommend that travelers seek an appointment during the early part of their trip, since there can be unexpected delays in the visa renewal process. Anyone who departs the U.S. with an expired visa will not be able to return until they are issued a new visa.
International employees and scholars should monitor their UMBC email account closely for important messages from the Center for Global Engagement as this is how we will send alerts of any changes in U.S. immigration policy.
Anyone who has questions about their individual travel plans should contact me prior to travel. We wish a safe journey to those choosing to travel during Spring Break, and we hope that all members of our community enjoy the break and come back refreshed and ready to finish out the semester.
Diane Zeenny Ghorayeb
International Scholar Coordinator
Center for Global Engagement
UMBC’s Center for Global Engagement wishes to remind all international students planning international travel during Spring Break to review the travel reminders that apply to their specific immigration status.
Please see the travel reminders that apply to enrolled F-1 students and to students pursuing post-graduation OPT or STEM OPT. Specifically, students should check that they have a travel endorsement on Page 2 of their Form I-20 that will still be valid on the date they will return to the U.S. Students should also check the expiration date of their F-1 visa to be sure it will be valid on the date they plan to return to the U.S. Passports should be valid for at least six months after the date of reentry.
Students in J-1 status should make sure there is a valid travel endorsement on page 1 of their Form DS-2019. J-1 students should also check the expiration date of their J-1 visa to be sure it will be valid on the date they plan to return. Passports should be valid for at least six months after the date of reentry.
As we have shared on our Immigration Policy Updates page, the U.S. Department of State recently made changes to its in-person interview policy. The Department's new policy makes the requirement for an in-person interview a discretionary decision by consular officers, and students should not assume that their in-person interview will be waived. The in-person interview may add to the time required to process a visa renewal. Additionally, visa appointment wait times can fluctuate drastically without warning.
For these reasons, anyone whose visa has expired should carefully consider these factors when planning international travel. Before departing the U.S., travelers without valid visas should work with the U.S. embassy or consulate at their travel destination to determine if they are required to appear for an in-person interview. If an in-person interview is required, travelers should secure an appointment before departing the U.S. We strongly recommend that travelers seek an appointment during the early part of their trip, since there can be unexpected delays in the visa renewal process. Anyone who departs the U.S. with an expired visa will not be able to re-enter the country until they are issued a new visa.
Students should monitor their UMBC email account closely for important messages from the Center for Global Engagement, as this is how we send alerts of any changes in U.S. immigration policy.
Students who have questions about their individual travel plans should contact our advising staff prior to travel.
We wish a safe journey to those choosing to travel during Spring Break, and we hope that all members of our community enjoy the break and come back refreshed and ready to finish out the semester.
Dave Anguish
Director, Office of International Students and Scholars
Center for Global Engagement
On February 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of State issued updated guidance regarding which applicants for U.S. visas may qualify for a waiver of the in-person interview requirement. This update supersedes previous guidance issued in December 2023. The update lists particular visa types that are eligible for waiver of the in-person interview, including A, G, NATO and TECRO visas.
Relevant to international students and scholars, “applicants who previously held a visa in the same category that expired less than 12 months prior to the new application” are also eligible for an interview waiver. Additionally, such applicants must: be applying for the visa renewal in their country of nationality or residence (home country), never have been refused a visa in the past, and have no apparent or potential ineligibility issues.
Crucially, this policy update establishes that consular officers have the authority and discretion to waive the in-person interview requirement, but they “may still require in-person interviews on a case-by-case basis or because of local conditions.” The update recommends that visa applicants “check embassy and consulate websites for more detailed information about visa application requirements and procedures, and to learn more about the embassy or consulate’s operating status and services.”
Our advice continues to be that students and scholars should plan ahead as much as possible for any necessary visa renewals. Because the U.S. Department of State now makes the requirement for an in-person interview a discretionary decision by consular officers, applicants should not assume that their in-person interview will be waived. Moreover, visa appointment wait times can fluctuate drastically without warning.
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