Emergency Announcements

Travel Announcement: Issued February 6, 2017

As you may have already seen in the news, a federal judges' ruling has suspended the travel ban for individuals from Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Sudan and Libya. While Judge Robart's ruling may lift the specific travel ban that has been in place for the last several days, we continue to advise well-informed caution when traveling, and above all else, we recommend that all travelers have a minimum of two plans, in case of delays, denials, or blockage.

https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students

http://www.uscourts.gov/cameras-courts/state-washington-vs-donald-j-trump-et-al

Note that the Visa Interview Waiver program continues to be suspended (also known as the Dropbox Renewal system). This means that individuals who may have planned for a drop off system for renewing their visas will have to schedule mandatory consular interviews, along with all first-time visa applicants. As this has increased the demand for interview slots on consulate calendars, please plan accordingly if your visa is expired and you are traveling.

Also note that per a 02/03/2017 official e-mail sent by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):

"USCIS continues to adjudicate applications and petitions filed on or behalf of individuals in the United States regardless of their country of origin, applications and petitions of Lawful Permanent Residents outside the U.S., and applications and petitions for individuals outside the U.S. whose approval does not directly confer travel authorization. Applications to adjust status continue to be adjudicated, according to existing policies and procedures, for applicants who are nationals of countries designated in the Executive Order."

Our office will send additional updates if new developments are announced from official federal sources.

Immigration Travel Alert: Issued on January 30, 2017

On January 27, 2016, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending admission to the United States
of foreign nationals from the following countries for a period of at least 90 days: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan,
Syria and Yemen.

Foreign nationals from these countries are advised to refrain from any international travel, effective immediately.
While this order is in effect, admission or readmission to the United States will likely be denied, and the ban applies
to all ports of entry (e.g., air, land, and sea). It is unclear when this ban may be lifted. Based on the information to be
gathered by the State Department and Department of Homeland Security over the 90‐day period (April 27, 2017),
the suspension could be extended, and additional countries could be added to the list. At this time, it appears that
individuals currently present in the U.S. will not be impacted.

Who is Affected?

As written, the executive order is unclear as to exactly which foreign nationals will be affected. It is not evident from
the order specifically who is considered to be "from" one of these listed countries. Categories of those affected could
include citizens, dual citizens/nationals, permanent residents and/or passport holders from these countries. Until
further information and guidance is available, the order should be interpreted as broadly as possible to include
anyone potentially considered from these countries.

The order applies to both immigrant and non‐immigrant foreign nationals from these countries. These categories
include both holders of non‐immigrant visas (F‐1, B‐1, H‐1B, J‐1, etc.) and lawful permanent residents (i.e. green
card holders). As a result, individuals with visas or green cards could be denied entry to the United States on the basis
of this executive order.

Suspension of Visa Interview Waiver Program

This executive order also directs the State Department to suspend the Visa Interview Waiver program, which allows
citizens of many countries to enter the U.S. on temporary visas without formal interviews with U.S. consular officers
(this includes all dropbox programs at consulates like India, which is used to renew expiring visas without a formal
interview). As such, foreign nationals from countries not listed above, and who need to renew their visas if traveling
abroad, should expect considerably longer wait times for appointments at these consulates, and any travel plans
should take into account additional processing times for visa issuance.

The University will continue to monitor developments with respect to any executive orders regarding immigration
and will continue to release information and analysis as it becomes available. This alert should not be considered
legal advice. We caution all foreign nationals not to travel outside of the U.S without consulting an immigration
lawyer.

Please contact the Center International Education Services at theworld@memphis.edu or 901‐678‐2055, or the
Office of Legal Counsel at 901‐678‐1565, for additional questions or information.