Dear Student,
On Wednesday, June 4, 2025 the U.S. government signed a travel ban that prohibits citizens from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen from entering the United States. Citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela are also prohibited from entering the U.S. on B, F, and J visas. The travel ban takes effect on Monday, June 9th and does not impact citizens from those countries who are already in the United States. The University and the International Services Office (ISO) are closely monitoring developments and will provide you with timely updates.
To ensure that you are able to resume classes in the fall, we strongly recommend the following:
- If you are currently in the United States, do not travel outside of the country. This includes travel to Mexico and Canada.
- If you are currently outside of the United States, we recommend that you return before Monday, June 9, 2025
We understand that this is unsettling news. Given the challenges of the current situation, we would like to remind you of the resources that are available to you. Additionally, if you are interested, the ISO is happy to arrange for a Zoom chat to better understand how we can support you during this time. Whether it is connecting with other students and scholars from the impacted countries for shared support, or simply just to listen, the ISO is happy to help. If this is something that would be of interest, please feel free to contact Anastasia Tahou atahou@ur.rochester.edu. Additionally, we will keep The Federal Policy Changes on our website updated as information becomes available.
As members of the international community, you are essential to the richness of our academic and cultural community. Your presence, ideas, and perspectives help shape a more inclusive and globally aware campus for everyone.
Kindest regards,
Ravi Shankar
Interim Vice Provost for Global Engagement
Wendy Fritz
Interim Assistant Vice Provost for International Services & Support