June 29, 2018 Travel Ban Update

On June 26, 2018 the United States Supreme Court upheld Presidential Proclamation 9645, allowing Travel Ban 3.0 to continue. The countries currently affected by the ban are Iran, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Somalia, Venezuela and North Korea. Chad was removed from this list in April 2018 and is no longer subject to this travel ban.

Indefinite Entry Bar Under Presidential Proclamation 9645: “Enhancing Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry Into the United States by Terrorists or Other Public – Safety Threats”

The Travel Ban restrictions are country-specific and have been in effect since December 2017. Information on the travel restrictions can be found here.

NOTE: Due to the fluid nature of this situation non-immigrant students and scholars from the countries listed in the Presidential Proclamation should not travel out of the U.S. without first consulting an immigration attorney.

We will continue to update this page with information and resources. ISSS staff members are available to assist and support international students, faculty and scholars who have questions or concerns. Know that international students, faculty and scholars are valued members of our UNC community and members of the university community stand ready to help and support international students and scholars during these uncertain times. Please visit our office or contact us at +1.919.962.5661 or isss@unc.edu. Additional contact information for our advisers can be found on our contact page. Our Resources for International Students and Scholars document provides links to campus and community resources for our international community.

1. Chronological Updates

June 26, 2018: The Supreme Court of the United States upheld Presidential Proclamation 9645, the “Travel Ban” issued on September 24, 2017. Read the full decision here.
April 10, 2018: President Trump announced the lifting of travel restrictions for nationals of Chad. For more information see the Department of State website.
December 4, 2017: The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) stayed preliminary injunctions that had been issued by U.S. District Courts in Hawaii and Maryland, this allows the government to fully enforce Travel Ban 3.0 on all 8 countries effective December 8, 2017. The Proclamation 9645 restrictions are country-specific. See Department of State website for details.
September 24, 2017: Presidential Proclamation “Enhancing Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry into the United States by Terrorists or Other Public- Safety Threats” was signed by President Trump. This proclamation impacts nationals of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Chad, North Korea and Venezuela. A frequently asked questions page has also been added here.
June 26, 2017: The Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear the government’s appeal of two lower court decisions blocking Executive Orders to impose a travel ban signed by President Trump. The court will hear the case in October.
June 21, 2017: President Trump signed Executive Order Amending Executive Order 13597. This order will roll back President Obama’s Executive Order for processing temporary visas within three weeks. This Executive Order is seen as a step toward “Extreme vetting” of visa applications. Expect visa delays.
March 16, 2017: The S. District Court in Maryland issued a nationwide preliminary injunction, preventing the Government from enforcing Executive Order 13780’s 90-day entry bar, which had been scheduled to go into effect on March 16, 2017.
March 15, 2017: The U.S. District Court in Hawaii issued a nationwide temporary restraining order, preventing the Government from enforcing Executive Order 13780’s 90-day entry bar and 120-day refugee entry bar, which had been scheduled to go into effect on March 16, 2017.
March 6, 2017: President Trump signed a new executive order entitled “Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States.” The new order revokes and replaces Executive Order 13769 that was issued on January 27, 2017. This new Executive Order includes a revised entry ban on nationals of six countries – Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen – and is effective on March 16, 2017.
February 9, 2017: Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Temporary Restraining Order on Executive Order 13769
January 27, 2017: President Trump signed Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States. Section 3 of the Executive Order states the U.S. will suspend immigrant and non-immigrant (H-1B, TN, F-1, O-1, J-1 etc.) entry into the U.S. of foreign nationals from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen for 90 days from the date of the order.

2. Travel Advisory

Due to the fluid nature of this situation non-immigrant students and scholars from the countries listed in the Presidential Proclamation should not travel out of the U.S. without first consulting with an immigration attorney.

For additional details, please refer to the following:

Inspection of Electronic Devices

U.S. Customs and Border Protection may conduct searches of electronic devices. This flyer contains detailed information about the Department of Homeland Security’s guiding principles in conducting searches of electronic devices at the border.