Posted May 21, 2025
This advisory does not take the place of legal advice. You should contact an immigration attorney to discuss your individual situation, immigration status, immigration history, criminal record, and any other factors that may impact your ability to successfully return to the United States after foreign travel.
Additional Resources:
General Safety and Preparedness:
- Provide your travel itinerary to a trusted friend or family member. Give them instructions as to whom to call and what to do if you are held at the airport.
- Carry your immigration attorney’s contact information, and the contact information for a local friend or family member. If it appears that you might be going into a secondary inspection, you may be able to text your friend and ask them to get in touch with your immigration attorney.
- Check your home country’s travel advisories and warnings before traveling.
- Consider postponing travel to or from the United States if not necessary.
Be Prepared for Extreme Vetting
- Carry complete documentation of your eligibility to enter the United States
- F-1 and J-1 students and scholars
- Ensure that your most recent I-20 or DS-2019 has a timely endorsement for travel.
- Carry current proof of enrollment, such as a current transcript or a letter from the College.
- If currently working on Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT), carry proof of employment, such as two recent pay statements or a recently signed employment confirmation letter from your employer. Students on pre-completion OPT or graduates on post-completion or STEM OPT should also carry their Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card and proof of the approved employment authorization on their I-20.
- Employment-based visa holders
- Carry your original Form I-797 or I-129S form, if applicable.
- Carry proof of employment, such as two recent pay statements or a recently signed employment confirmation letter from your employer.
- Travelers with parole
- Carry proof of the underlying validity of your advance parole. Applicants for adjustment of status should also carry a copy of their Form I-485 receipt notice.
- Visitors
- Have proof of return transportation to your country of residence or another country outside the U.S.
- Carry an itinerary and proof of lodging.
- Individuals traveling for business should have an invitation letter from a U.S. individual or entity, and an employment confirmation letter from their foreign employer, if applicable.
- A photocopy and screenshot of your passport and any required visa(s). Store photocopies of these documents in a separate bag from the passport/visa, in the event that a bag is lost or stolen.
- Avoid bringing prohibited items
Confirm that you are in compliance with all immigration requirements
- If you have moved, ensure that you have changed your address with USCIS, and carry electronic proof that you have submitted a change of address to USCIS.
- If you hold a student visa, ensure that you are in full compliance with all requirements and that your visa/status has not been revoked.
- If you hold an employment visa, ensure that there have been no material changes to your employment, which would require that an amended petition be filed to USCIS. Material changes can include:
- A significant change in job duties
- A reduction in pay or hours worked
- For H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 visa holders, a change in worksite to a different metropolitan area
Factors Impacting Likelihood of Questioning/Detention at the U.S. Port of Entry:
- Permanent residents – Seek legal advice in any of the following scenarios:
- Criminal conviction since obtaining residency or outstanding criminal charges
- Conditional Resident with Permanent Residency pending
- Prior stops or questioning at ports of entry when returning to the United States
- Returning to the United States after an extended absence—anything over five months
- Visa holders – Seek legal advice in any of the following scenarios:
- Any criminal record or pending charges whatsoever
- Student visa holder from a Muslim majority country
- Prior questioning and/or secondary inspection at a port of entry
- Past visa denials or administrative processing
- Any past noncompliance with visa requirements (e.g., unemployment, unauthorized employment, overstays, gaps in status, etc.)
Searches of Your Property at the Border:
- If you are selected for screening, stay calm, polite, and respectful.
- U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers have significant discretion at ports of entry to determine who is allowed to enter the country, regardless of visa status. They also have the authority to conduct electronic searches.
- Officers can require travelers to unlock cellphones, reveal laptop passwords, or provide access to digital cameras. U.S. citizens and green card holders can refuse to answer questions beyond those establishing identity and status and still enter the country, although this may lead to delays or the seizure of devices. Visa holders do not have the same rights and must comply with officers’ requests.
- If your device is confiscated, request the name, badge number, and agency of the officer involved. Ask for a receipt, or contact the agency to request one.
Handling Digital Devices:
- Before you travel, you may want to assess the current state of your electronic devices. For example, you could consider doing the following to protect your personal information:
- Use strong passwords instead of biometric (such as facial recognition) logins in order to offer greater protection to your personal information.
- Disable cloud-sync and auto-login features to prevent access to sensitive accounts if your device is reviewed.
- Consider removing social media accounts from your devices prior to travel.
- Backup and remove personal photos and other personal information.
- When you are at an airport, switching your device(s) to airplane mode can prevent data syncing during checks.
Potential Travel Ban:
- Consider returning to the United States now if your country is on a proposed “red” list of travel ban countries, which includes Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
- Stay apprised of any updates regarding the potential travel ban and change your plans accordingly.
- Countries included in the proposed travel ban:
- Full Visa Suspension: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen may face a complete halt on issuing U.S. visas. This suspension would prevent their citizens from traveling to the U.S. for any purpose, including tourism, business trips, or education.
- Partial Visa Suspension: Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan would experience partial visa restrictions. These limitations might specifically affect tourist, student, and immigrant visas, though certain exemptions may be available.
- Probationary Period: 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, and Zimbabwe would receive a 60-day period to address concerns regarding security and vetting processes. Failure to comply adequately could result in partial visa suspensions.