Travel Bans and Visa Appointment Pause
We write to share an update about the travel bans announced by the U.S. presidential administration on June 4, and the May 28 pause on the scheduling of visa interview appointments.
The presidential proclamation imposes travel restrictions for 19 countries that will take effect on Monday, June 9. The full travel ban impacts nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, and the partial ban applies to individuals who are immigrants and nonimmigrants with Visitor, Student, and Exchange Program Visas (i.e., B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visa holders) seeking entry to the United States from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. These bans apply to individuals who are outside the United States without a valid U.S. entry visa as of 12:01 a.m. EDT on Monday, June 9. It is our understanding that individuals already within the United States in a valid status currently are not affected. International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) awaits more details regarding the implementation of the travel restrictions. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
In addition, last Wednesday, the U.S. Department of State ordered its U.S. consulates and embassies to pause the scheduling of visa appointments until the administration identifies a new process for screening social media accounts of visa applicants. This has been described as a temporary pause with the expectation that more visa appointments will become available once the new procedures are in place. It is expected that applicants with already scheduled appointments can proceed with those interviews as arranged.
International students and scholars with valid visas or with expired visas who plan to remain in the United States for the foreseeable future are not affected by this pause. See below for recommendations for international students who plan to travel abroad or are already outside the United States and do not currently have a valid U.S. visa.
- If you are currently outside the U.S. and you have a scheduled visa appointment, proceed with any scheduled appointment unless the U.S. consulate or embassy contacts you directly to change the plan.
- If you are abroad and need a new visa, continue to regularly monitor the website of the nearest U.S. consulate or embassy for updates regarding the scheduling of interview appointments. When appointment scheduling reopens, secure an appointment as quickly as possible, even if it is after your program start date. (Once you have an appointment, you may be able to expedite it following U.S. consulate guidelines.)
- If you attend your visa interview and receive a refusal or denial, request the reason in writing, if possible, and ask if you will be undergoing additional screening or administrative processing. A refusal may mean that your visa application is still pending and under review. Promptly notify ISSS at isss@middlebury.edu about the refusal or denial and the reason given so we can advise you appropriately.
- If you anticipate that you will be unable to arrive for your intended program start date, please email ISSS and we will advise you regarding next steps.
- If you are an international student in the United States anticipating upcoming international travel and you will need a new U.S. visa to return, schedule an appointment with an ISSS advisor to discuss your plans.
Continue to monitor communications from our office sent via email or posted on our Timely Updates webpage. The ISSS team continues to be available to respond to email inquiries, or for virtual or in-person appointments if you wish to meet. You may schedule an appointment with an ISSS advisor through our Calendly scheduling tool. If the available appointment times are not at a reasonable time for your time zone, please email ISSS to request a time that will work better for you. Keep asking questions and sharing your concerns so we can respond.