Summer 2025 Updates

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In early July, the Department of State reduced the visa validity parameters for some newly issued nonimmigrant visas, including F and J visas, to 3 months and only a single entry. This new change impacts F and J holders from certain countries and students can review the Department of State’s visa reciprocity schedule and this NAFSA resource to check their country’s visa validity period. Students who are issued 3-month and single-entry visas will need to apply for a new visa if they are traveling internationally after their first entry into the U.S., unless eligible for automatic revalidation. If you are applying for a new visa, please prepare for potential processing delays, or in the worst case, denials at consulates abroad.

ISSS shared recent updates around travel, reentry into the U.S. and applying for a visa. 

VISA APPOINTMENTS REOPEN WITH NEW VETTING PROCEDURES

On June 18 the U.S. State Department announced that it would resume F and J student visa appointments and would implement a new vetting procedure for visa applicants. 

  • Visa appointments reopen with potential delays: While the temporary pause on visa appointments has been lifted, individual consulates are reopening appointments at their own pace and there will likely be a backlog due to the increased demand for visa appointments during this time and the new vetting procedures. Students who need to apply for a new visa should check their consulate’s visa appointment availability before travelling
  • The new visa screening policy requires each visa officer to review each applicant's online presence, including social media activity, internet search engines, and any databases to which the consular section has access. Consulate officers are expected to look for any evidence that shows an applicant may be likely to violate US laws, advocate for terrorist organizations, engage in political activism that is associated with violence and will undermine scholarly activity, or shows “hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States”. In order to conduct this search, the State Department requires student visa applicants to set their social media profiles to “public”.

In order to prevent delays, you should consider reviewing your social media and other online presence carefully, and set social media profiles to “public” for the visa application and interview. If you go to a visa interview and your social media profiles are not made public, you may receive a visa denial, or temporary denial, until the consulate has had a chance to review your profiles.

In addition to these new visa vetting procedures, the government has proposed travel restrictions that could go into place in the coming months. Please read the updated considerations below so that you can make informed decisions about your travel.

IMPORTANT TRAVEL CONSIDERATIONS:

Students in the following situations should seek additional advice before traveling: 

  • Citizens of Countries with Travel Restrictions: The U.S. government has implemented travel and visa restrictions on certain countries, with limited exceptions. Please refer to our announcements on April 11 and June 5 for the full list of countries and its impact on students. This list may change and countries could be added or removed in the future. If you are a national of one of these countries but are exempt from these travel restrictions, please contact us at isss@usfca.edu for a support letter if you are planning to travel internationally. 
  • Citizens of Countries with Potential Travel Restrictions: News outlets have reported two different lists of countries that could potentially be impacted by travel restrictions in March and June. Students whose countries are listed on either list are advised to consider the risk of international travel should additional country-specific travel restrictions be implemented in the future. It is unclear when new restrictions may be implemented and they can be implemented on short notice. ISSS will reach out if these travel restrictions are implemented in the future. 
  • Prior Arrest, Detainment by Law Enforcement or Visa Revocation: There have been instances where non-U.S. Citizens with prior criminal charges have been deemed inadmissible at the port of entry and/or had their visas revoked. Students in this situation should consult an immigration attorney about the risks of international travel, and what documents you should show to demonstrate that you are admissible to the US. ISSS can provide a list of immigration attorneys upon request.
  • Failure to Maintain F-1 status: Students who have engaged in employment without authorization, dropped below full-time without ISSS authorization, or exceeded their unemployment limit on OPT and STEM OPT are not considered in F-1 status, and will likely be denied entry to the US.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD I KNOW BEFORE TRAVELING? 

All students should take the following steps before and after traveling: 

  • Follow F-1 address reporting requirements. Ensure you are reporting any changes to your address via MyISSS within ten days of the change. Students on OPT and STEM OPT will need to report changes to your address on the SEVP portal within ten days of the change. 
  • Ensure you are carrying valid travel documents before reentering the US. Visit our travel and reentry webpage for the list of documents. If your travel signature is not valid for re-entry, please submit an I-20 reprint request via MyISSS no later than three weeks before your return to the U.S. If you are on OPT or STEM OPT, please submit an I-20 reprint via MyISSS if you are travelling internationally and your OPT or STEM OPT request status or employment information needs to be updated on your I-20.
  • Be prepared for enhanced screening and the possibility of a search of your electronic devices at the port of entry. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has the authority to search electronic devices at US borders to determine if a traveller has been in violation of their visa status or is inadmissible to the US. This search may include your social media profiles. Travellers may be deemed inadmissible if they have worked without authorization, have had criminal charges, or are determined to pose “a threat to national security.” Refer to this handout by the American Immigration Lawyers Association for information on searches and securing your devices. Keep in mind you may be refused entry if you do not comply with a CBP search. We strongly recommend students to remain polite and patient throughout the screening process. If you believe you were treated unfairly by CBP, please contact ISSS. 
  • Save the ISSS and USF Public Safety phone numbers on your phone. The ISSS number is (415) 422-2654, and the USF Public Safety number is (415) 422-4201. Save these numbers in your phone in case you need to contact us when entering the U.S or otherwise. If you have an immigration attorney you should save their phone number on your phone as well.
  • Retrieve and check your I-94 after international travel. Ensure your I-94 Class of Admission states “F-1” and the Admit Until Date states “D/S”. It can take up to 10 days for your electronic I-94 to display after entry. If there are any discrepancies, please contact ISSS for next steps.

We hope this additional information will help you consider whether it's advisable to make international travel plans at this time. Please continue to check for email updates from ISSS and review this web page for ongoing resources. If you have any additional questions about your situation or plans, please email or schedule an appointment with your ISSS advisor.
 

On June 18, the State Department issued a press release confirming that consulates will resume scheduling student visa appointments soon. Students should continue to check their local consulate’s website for appointment availability. An expanded social media vetting process was also announced, and student visa applicants are requested to adjust their social media profiles to “public” to facilitate this process.

On June 4, 2025, the federal government issued a proclamation restricting entry of nationals from specific countries.

Which countries are impacted by the travel restrictions and when will the restrictions go into effect?
The proclamation restricts entry of nationals from specific countries into the U.S. with a "full" travel ban on 12 countries and a "partial" travel ban on 7 countries. 

The “full” travel ban suspends entry of all immigrants and non-immigrants from the following countries: Afghanistan, Burma/Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. 

The “partial” ban suspends the entry of immigrants and non-immigrants under the B-1/B-2, F-1/F-2, J-1/J-2 and M-1/M-2 visa categories from the following countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The travel restrictions will be effective at 12:01 am Eastern Time on June 9, 2025, which is 9:01 pm Pacific Time on Sunday, June 8, 2025. 

The proclamation orders the review of Egypt's vetting processes. There is a possibility that Egypt could be included in these restrictions in the future.

How will students from listed countries be impacted by these restrictions?
The proclamation indicates that these restrictions only apply to those who are outside of the U.S., and do not already have a valid visa on the effective date of this proclamation. 

What are the travel recommendations for students from listed countries?

  • If you are outside of the U.S. and don’t have a valid F or J visa, you will not be able to enter the U.S. after the travel restrictions go into effect. If possible, we strongly recommend that you reenter the U.S. before 9:01 pm Pacific Time on Sunday, June 8, 2025.
  • If you are outside of the U.S. and have a valid F or J visa, it may be possible for you to reenter the U.S after the travel restrictions go into effect. However, since this is a new policy it is not clear how this will be implemented. Therefore, we still recommend that you re-enter the U.S. before 9:01 pm Pacific Time on Sunday, June 8, 2025.
  • If you are inside the U.S. and maintain valid F or J status, you are still able to remain in the U.S. We advise against any international travel, especially if you do not have a valid visa, until the travel restrictions have been modified by the government. 

For more information about these restrictions, please refer to the proclamation link above or this analysis by Fragomen law firm. This is a new policy and the list of countries may change in the future. ISSS is monitoring changes and developments and we will share updates via email and our website as we receive them.

We recognize the challenges of navigating these new requirements and uncertainty that comes. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our office or your ISSS advisor if you have any questions. If you are a current student, we also encourage you to utilize other campus resources, including Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Center for Academic and Student Achievement (CASA) and the Office of the Dean of Students, for support.