This message was originally sent on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 by email directly to students with citizenship from countries listed in the updated presidential proclamation also referred to as the “travel ban”. This proclamation affects students and visiting scholars from the following countries:
Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burma (Myanmar), Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Cote d’ Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, The Gambia, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Dear Students,
I’m reaching out from the ISSS because as you may already know the White House released an updated presidential proclamation last night that restricts visa issuance and travel to the U.S. for citizens of specific countries, including {COUNTRY NAME}.
The updated presidential proclamation takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on January 1, 2026, and can impact immigrants and nonimmigrants outside of the U.S. who do not have a valid visa as of January 1, 2026. The proclamation imposes different restrictions by country, though for all countries, students and exchange visitors on F and J visas could be impacted. Effective January 1, 2026, travelers from the identified countries will not be able to obtain an F or J visa to enter the U.S. While the “Scope” (Section 6) of the proclamation implies that the travel ban will not apply to an F or J visa holder who holds a valid visa as of January 1, 2026, it is unclear how entry to the U.S. will be handled in practice.
If you are planning to depart or are currently outside the U.S., and already hold a valid F or J visa, it may be possible to return to the U.S. after the January 1, 2026 effective date, but we do not know what your travel experience will be like. You should be prepared to advocate for yourself and explain to airline officials that the proclamation does not apply to you, because you have a valid visa that was issued before the proclamation effective date. You may be subject to secondary inspection by Customs and Border Protection when going through U.S. passport control. If this happens to you, stay calm and answer all of the questions about your status as a UConn student. It may be less risky for you to return to the U.S. before January 1, if you can do this. Students who were planning to travel may want to reconsider these plans to avoid risk.
In the meantime, please share your most recent F-1 or J-1 visa information with ISSS so have a better sense of your situation and how we can support you. Report your visa approval information online here. You may reach out to your ISSS Advisor if you have any questions or concerns regarding your situation. Lastly, please know that even though it is winter break, the ISSS will be open, and staff are here to support you should you have any questions or concerns.
Best Regards,
Arthur
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Arthur Galinat
Director, International Student & Scholar Services
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
GLOBAL AFFAIRS
Center for International Students & Scholars
2019 Hillside Rd., U-1083
STORRS, CT 06269-1083
PHONE: 860.486.3855 | EMAIL: arthur.galinat@uconn.edu
http://international.global.uconn.edu
Facebook: @UConnGlobal | Instagram: @uconn.global