Travel Guidance

2025 Travel Guidance

All Dartmouth travelers should be proactive when making domestic and international travel plans by confirming that you have the appropriate documents for travel, and that you have consulted available resources regarding any potential risks associated with travel. If your international travel is Dartmouth-related, you must fill out the travel registry. Given possible future travel restrictions and increased screening and enforcement, including immigration enforcement within the U.S., it is important that members of our international and immigrant community be prepared for travel, consider the possible risks of travel, and stay up to date on any immigration policy or rule changes.

Remember: For domestic or international travel, carry your immigration documents*.

F-1 students:

Passport
Form I-20
Most recent I-94 record of arrival

J-1 students and scholars:

Passport
Form DS-2019
Most recent I-94 record of arrival

H-1B and O-1 beneficiaries:

Passport
Form I-797 Notice of Approval of H-1B or O-1 status
Most recent I-94 record of arrival

Lawful permanent residents should carry their green card.

Individuals who hold another status in the U.S. should carry their passport and proof of their legal status in the U.S., and a copy of the most recent I-94 record, if applicable.

*The Immigration and Nationality Act requires all nonimmigrants and lawful permanent residents to carry their immigration registration document. This is a Form I-94 or an EAD work card for nonimmigrants, or a green card for lawful permanent residents. OVIS recommends that nonimmigrants carry the documents listed in this travel guidance.

Print and carry your most recent I-94 record of arrival - The U.S. Customs and Border Protection I-94 database generates electronic I-94 records of arrival. At a minimum, have an electronic copy of your I-94 available on your phone or other device. It is recommended to print a copy of the most recent I-94 record of arrival evidencing your last date of entry and admission in legal status. You can access your most recent I-94 record of arrival from the CBP website.

Domestic travel and the 100-Mile Border Zone – U.S. Customs and Border Protection has the authority to carry out random enforcement actions, including highway checkpoints and inspections on buses, in areas within 100 miles of the U.S. border. More information about the 100-mile border zone can be found on the ACLU website.

Members of our international and immigrant communities should know your rights when you travel domestically or when entering the U.S.

Have a designated contact/plan – As you prepare for travel, you can consider designating someone to have access to copies of your documents and contact information for a family member, and for individuals working with outside immigration counsel, your immigration attorney. Share your travel information with that designated individual, as well as your family and attorney (if applicable), in advance.

Understand your rights

Know Your Rights: Red Cards – https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas
Know Your Rights: At the Airport - https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/what-do-when-encountering-law-enforcement-airports-and-other-ports-entry-us
Know Your Rights: If Arrested or Detained – https://www.nilc.org/resources/know-your-rights-what-to-do-if-arrested-detained-immigration/
- If you are detained by immigration or other law enforcement officials:
  - Do not make false or inaccurate statements or provide false documents
  - Call a family member and/or your attorney if you have one
  - Call Dartmouth Department of Safety and Security: 603-646-4000

Additional International Travel Considerations

Do you have a valid visa stamp? - For international travel, ensure you have a valid visa stamp to reenter the U.S. and be prepared to renew your visa at a U.S. Consulate abroad. If you need to apply for a new visa stamp, check the website of the U.S. Consulate where you will apply for wait times and application procedures. Make sure you have time to obtain the visa before you need to be back at Dartmouth, including understanding the risk of potential administrative processing delays.

Are your electronic devices secure? U.S. Customs and Border Protection claims broad authority to search electronic devices at the U.S. border and international airports. Dartmouth ITC provides guidance for international travel.

What are the risks of traveling to other countries in the world? Individuals planning to travel abroad should consider any potential risks related to their destination country, and consult Dartmouth's Office of Global Risk and Security with specific questions or concerns.

Additional resources for F-1 students and travel

Study in the States:
- https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/2024/02/students-prepare-for-spring-break-travel-with-these-tips
- https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students/study/traveling-as-an-international-student
ICE F-1 Student Travel FAQs - https://www.ice.gov/sevis/travel

If you have questions about upcoming domestic or international travel, please reach out to OVIS or schedule an appointment with your OVIS advisor.

OVIS Travel Checklist

Please refer to the OVIS Travel Checklist for information about international travel.

Previous Travel Guidance

August 14, 2023

Federal Government Confirms End of COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

The White House announced the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023. That same day, the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for international travelers are no longer in effect. The U.S. Department of State announcement can be found here.

November 29, 2021

NEW PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION RESTRICTING TRAVEL FROM CERTAIN AFRICAN COUNTRIES, EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 29, 2021

On November 26, 2021 the White House issued a Proclamation, effective November 29, 2021 that restricts travel to the U.S. for noncitizens who were physically present in the following countries within the 14-day period preceding travel to the U.S.: Botswana; Eswatini; Lesotho; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; South Africa; and, Zimbabwe. The restrictions are in response to the new COVID-19 Omicron variant present in those countries. While the Proclamation does reference an exception for a noncitizen whose entry "would be in the national interest," neither the State Department or the Department of Homeland Security have confirmed the criteria for National Interest Exceptions (NIEs).

In a November 28, 2021 U.S. Customs & Border Protection bulletin the agency confirmed that NIEs issued under previous Proclamations are void with respect to the November 26, 2021 Proclamation. OVIS will continue to provide updates as they become available.

Presidential Proclamations Suspending Entry to the U.S for Certain Visa Holders

Expiration of Proclamation banning visa issuance for H-1Bs - On March 31, 2021 Presidential Proclamation 10052, which temporarily suspended visa issuance to nonimmigrants seeking to enter the U.S. in H-1B and certain other nonimmigrant visa categories, expired. Even with the expiration, the geographic COVID-19-related Presidential Proclamations suspending entry to the U.S. of foreign nationals who have been physically present in certain regions of the world in the 14-day period before traveling remain in effect. These bans apply to China, Iran, Brazil, the Schengen Area countries, the UK and Ireland, and South Africa. And many consular posts around the world are either closed, or operating at reduced capacity with limited services due to the pandemic. Country-specific travel information can be found on the U.S. Department of State website.

China MCF Strategy - Presidential Proclamation 10043 suspending entry in F or J status of certain Chinese students and researchers with associations to entities in China that support the government's "military civil-fusion strategy" - This proclamation does not apply to undergraduate students. F and J visa applicants should be notified by a consular officer at the visa interview if they are subject to the proclamation. The U.S. Department of State also has the ability to revoke visas of current F and J visa holders.

Other Travel Considerations

SEVP Guidance for Fall 2021 – On April 26, 2021 the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) updated its COVID-19 guidance by adding an updated section clarifying questions for the 2021-22 academic year. The updated guidance states that SEVP will extend the March 2020 guidance for the upcoming academic year. The guidance enables schools and international students to engage in remote learning in excess of the regulatory limits due to continuing COVID-19 public health concerns. According to the guidance, new or initial students coming to the U.S. cannot engage in a fully online course of study. Schools may issue Forms I-20 to students seeking to enroll in a program of study that includes in-person and online components beyond the regulatory limits. The guidance also states that once a school returns to "normal operations," if students cannot or will not return to the U.S. to study, their F-1 records should be terminated in the SEVIS system. OVIS will continue to provide updates as we receive additional information and clarification on the SEVP guidance and announcements on Dartmouth's operations for Fall term 2021.

DHS Proposed Rule to Eliminate D/S for F and J nonimmigrants – It does not appear that the proposed rule will move forward. The proposed rule would have called for F and J nonimmigrants entering the U.S. to be issued an I-94 record of arrival with a fixed period of admission, rather than admission for D/S (duration of status). OVIS will provide any updates on the status of the proposed rule.

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Travel Guidance

2025 Travel Guidance

OVIS Travel Checklist

Previous Travel Guidance

Federal Government Confirms End of COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

NEW PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION RESTRICTING TRAVEL FROM CERTAIN AFRICAN COUNTRIES, EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 29, 2021

Presidential Proclamations Suspending Entry to the U.S for Certain Visa Holders

Other Travel Considerations

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