International Student & Scholar Services

In light of evolving concerns and reports of travel bans, SEVIS record terminations, executive orders, and other status concerns under the Trump Administration, international F-1 and J-1 students and scholars at The New School can refer to this Q&A for help with answers to sensitive questions.

The university is closely monitoring news reports about a possible travel ban affecting citizens of dozens of countries. We recommend that you check this webpage regularly for updates. Although a ban is not currently in effect, our ISSS team advises our current international students and scholars to take extra precautions when traveling internationally.  

If you are a new student applying for the F or J visa for the first time or you are a current student with an expired visa or a visa that will expire before your return to the United States, please keep in mind that visa applications at U.S. embassies and consulates will likely be subject to additional scrutiny. This may result in longer wait times or delays in receiving a visa. Please take this into consideration in your travel planning. Learn more about how to apply for a visa.

Please refer to the ISSS Travel Checklist for information on what you need to prepare in order to enter the United States. The ACLU has more information about your rights when traveling.

What to Expect Upon Arrival in the United States
Please see our page about Entry to the U.S. for more information about what to expect when crossing the border at a U.S. port of entry, and review our Travel Checklist for the documents you need to physically carry with you when you arrive.

Once F and J international students and scholars are admitted into the United States, it is important that they follow the regulations for F or J status and our guidance on maintaining nonimmigrant status while in the United States. You must also be sure to report any address changes within ten days of moving within the United States. As someone who is maintaining your nonimmigrant status, you can rest assured that you are in the United States lawfully with proper documentation.

Interaction with ICE Agents

• If approached by an ICE agent after you have entered the United States, you may be asked to show your immigration documents.
• The following webpage includes resources on knowing your rights if approached by law enforcement.
• You should be prepared to show proof of your immigration status.
• While in the United States, you are required to keep your I-94 record with you at all times.
• The I-94 is your certificate of registration of entry to the United States and changes every time you enter the country.
• Access and print out your I-94 after arriving in the United States.

You should also have the immigration documents listed below accessible while you are in the United States. ISSS recommends that you save these documents on your phone in a folder or another electronic device with easy access. Please be aware that if you are providing your device to the ICE agent to show your documentation, they may have the right to look at other information on the device, including social media. Consider protecting access to personal, private, and other information stored on your device that is not related to your documentation, such as financial apps and social media.

• Passport
• Visa
• Signed I-20
• I-797A (if status has changed)

Helpful Tips

• Store all original documents in a secure location at home—a safe, a lockbox, a filing area, or another location you feel comfortable keeping your documents in.
• Carry your university ID to show that you are a student at The New School.
• Have access to your course registration to show that you are an enrolled student.
• Be sure to have ISSS contact information saved in your phone for easy access in case any information needs to be confirmed by the ICE agent.
• Memorize important phone numbers in case your phone is taken away.
• Report any interactions you have with ICE agents to [email protected].
• If you have an emergency situation related to immigration, you can contact the ISSS emergency phone line at 212.229.7001 with your name and New School ID number.

Recently the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) sent out a  notification by email to students on OPT, titled Student and Exchange Visitor Program: Notice of Failure to Report Optional Practical Training Employer and Exceeding Permissible Period of Unemployment.

This notification advised students who have been participating in OPT for more than 90 days but have not reported employer information that they must update their SEVIS records within 15 days of the notice. Otherwise, SEVP will set the record to “terminated” to reflect the lack of employer information and the students' potential violation of F-1 status through failing to timely report OPT employment or exceeding the permissible period of employment while on OPT.

Although the first notifications were sent out on May 15, 2025, it is anticipated that these notifications will continue to go out to students who have exceeded 90 days of unemployment while on OPT. 

It is unclear whether students on STEM OPT who have exceeded the 150-day maximum for unemployment will also receive notifications.

Emails from SEVP are sent to the student’s email account as it appears in the SEVIS record. For a New School student, that email address is the student’s New School email address. You must check your New School email account regularly.

Required Action
ISSS sends weekly email reminders to all students on OPT who have exceeded 75 days of unemployment. The email is titled Close to or Exceeded 90 Days of Unemployment on OPT.

Students must review this email and follow instructions to not exceed the regulatory limit of 90 days of unemployment while on OPT.

For additional information on this government action, please visit the NAFSA website.

On May 27, the Department of State announced that it has ordered U.S. embassies and consulates to temporarily stop adding additional F, M, and J visa appointment capacity until it issues further guidance on an expansion of social media screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor applicants. The State Department has not yet posted information on its website. Please see NAFSA's page for details and additional context.

On the basis of this information, ISSS is recommending the steps outlined below for students who need to renew or apply for a visa.

New International Students

• If you have not completed the I-20/DS-2019 application, please do so as soon as possible. ISSS will continue to issue I-20s and DS-2019s for new students.
• Once you have your I-20 or DS-2019, complete the DS-160 visa application.
• Monitor the webpage of your U.S. embassy or consulate and DS-160 account for updates on the pause.

• ISSS will send information in August to all new students regarding options and steps to take for late arrival for the fall semester, in case it is needed.

Continuing International Students

• If you are inside the United States and your visa has expired or will expire during the summer, you should consider remaining inside the country until you have confirmed booking of your visa renewal appointment.
  • A reminder: F-1 and J-1 visas are entry documents. If you are in the United States maintaining your F or J status, you do not need a valid visa. The I-20 or DS-2019 and your active SEVIS record are what maintains your immigration status.
• If you are returning to study in the summer or fall semester and cannot arrive on time for the start of classes, please discuss your academic options with your academic advisor and update ISSS on your enrollment plans, so that we can advise you further on your visa status.
• If you are abroad during Post-Completion OPT and unable to return to the United States because you cannot renew your visa, please speak with an ISSS advisor during our Drop-in Hours or a one-on-one appointment to discuss your situation further.

On June 4, the U.S. Presidential Proclamation restricting entry of certain foreign nationals to the U.S. was announced. This proclamation restricts entry of certain immigration categories of nationals of 19 countries and will go into effect at 12:01am on June 9, 2025 EST.

Travel Restrictions:

Nationals of Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Yemen.

• The proclamation will restrict entry into the United States of F and J international students, J scholars, and F and J dependents that are:
  • Outside the United States on the applicable effective date of the proclamation; AND
  • Do not have a valid visa in their passport on the applicable effective date of the proclamation 

Returning International Students and Scholars on F or J visas

• If you or your dependents are outside the United States with a valid visa, ISSS strongly recommends that you return before June 9 to avoid any misinterpretation of the current proclamation by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. 
• Although the travel ban would allow you to reenter the United States with a valid visa, you may encounter challenges at the port of entry if you are returning after June 9. We recommend that you meet with an ISSS advisor before traveling.
• If you are currently in the United States , ISSS does not recommend traveling outside of the United States after June 9, 2025, until the re-entry process is better understood.
• As always, students traveling outside the United States should review:
  • The ISSS webpage on Travel
  • The ISSS Student Travel Checklist or Scholar/Professor Travel Checklist
    
    They should also have the ISSS emergency phone number available: 212.229.7001.

New International Students and Scholars

• If you have not received your F or J visa from the U.S. embassy or consulate to study for the fall semester at The New School, it will be difficult under this current proclamation to be approved for a visa and enter the United States for the fall.
• The university will monitor challenges to this proclamation and provide regular updates when available.   
• Students who have received a F or J student visa previously that remain valid should contact ISSS at [email protected]  to schedule a meeting  to discuss your options.
• If you are currently in the United States, please contact [email protected] to discuss your options for remaining in the United States. Any travel outside of the United States after June 9, 2025, is not recommended until the re-entry process is better understood.

Additional Important Points from The Proclamation

• No immigrant or nonimmigrant visa issued before the applicable effective date of the proclamation shall be revoked pursuant to the proclamation.
• The proclamation includes additional travel restrictions to the United States for other immigrant and nonimmigrant visa categories  for specific countries. 
• The proclamation provides a list of exceptions to the travel restriction for special immigrant and nonimmigrant visas and statuses. 
• There will be a periodic government review of the list of travel ban countries to assess whether the restrictions should be continued, modified, suspended, or supplemented. Within 90 days of the proclamation and every 180 days thereafter, the secretary of state must submit a report to President Trump 

Please see the following webpages for additional details and context. 
NAFSA (The Association for International Educators)
Travel.state.gov