International students and scholars: Updates, legal resources, travel guidance

Update from June 23, 2025

The U.S. Department of State announced on June 23 that embassies and consulates will soon resume schedule F and J visa appointments. Applicants are encouraged to check the relevant embassy or consulate website for appointment availability.

If you are planning to apply for a visa, be sure to note that visa screening will now require “comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence” of all applicants, and that “all applicants … will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all their social media profiles to ‘public.’”

The Office of International Education would like to address the June 14 news reports about the possible addition of 36 countries to the current travel ban lists. These reports were based on an international Department of State memo indicating that the 36 countries would be given 60 days to meet new screening and review processes or face a partial or full entry ban. The memo did not make clear when any new restrictions for these countries would be imposed if they do not meet the new processes. Countries in the memo included: Angola; Antigua and Barbuda; Benin; Bhutan; Burkina Faso; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Democratic Republic of Congo; Djibouti; Dominica; Ethiopia; Egypt; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Ivory Coast; Kyrgyzstan; Liberia; Malawi; Mauritania; Niger; Nigeria; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Sao Tome and Principe; Senegal; South Sudan; Syria; Tanzania; Tonga; Tuvalu; Uganda; Vanuatu; Zambia; and Zimbabwe.

OIE will continue to monitor these developments and will share additional updates directly with F-1 and J-1 international students and scholars and via Marquette Today.

All international students and scholars are invited to a community breakfast to come together, share experiences and connect. Join to ask questions, express concerns and be in community with others on Tuesday, June 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on the fourth floor of Holthusen Hall. Staff members from OIE, the Graduate School, the Counseling Center and other departments will be present to engage with before the university closes the week of June 30 to July 4.

Update from June 5, 2025

On Wednesday, June 4, the White House issued a Presidential Proclamation creating a “full” travel ban on 12 countries and a “partial” travel ban on seven additional countries beginning 12:01 a.m. (EDT) June 9, 2025. This ban was issued in response to the president’s Jan. 20 Executive Order mandating a review of U.S. visa issuance processes in all U.S. embassies and consulates.

The “full” ban suspends entry into the U.S. of all immigrants and nonimmigrants for nationals of the following countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

The “partial” ban suspends entry into the U.S. of all immigrants and nonimmigrant B-1, B2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas for nationals of the following countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

Significantly, the proclamation includes limitations on its scope and enforcement, as well as several defined exceptions, that may limit its immediate impact on many individuals that would otherwise be impacted by the bans.

In line with Marquette’s Catholic, Jesuit identity and steadfast commitment to serve our F-1 and J-1 international students and scholars, the offices of the General Counsel and International Education are proactively contacting those individuals at Marquette who may be impacted by these bans with detailed information about the potential impact of these bans. Any individuals with specific questions are welcome to reach out to either of these offices as appropriate: OIE for F and J visa holders and OGC for all other visa categories.

Update from June 4, 2025

Last week, the U.S. Department of State made two announcements that may impact some current Marquette F-1 students regarding the temporary suspension of student visa appointment scheduling for visa issuance/re-issuance and the “aggressive” revocation of visas of Chinese students, including those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or those studying in critical fields.

Both announcements were brief and contained few details, making it difficult to provide concrete advice at this time; however, the Office of International Education shared the following general comments about these developments for students who may be affected:

Visa revocations for Chinese students

It is not clear at this time how quickly the Department of State will act to revoke visas based on this update.
The DOS has stated it does not intend to define “ties to the Communist Party” or “critical fields” to protect the integrity of the process.
The DOS has indicated that the critical fields impacted will involve programs that DOS determines are connected to U.S. national security, potential military uses, Chinese intelligence collection efforts or repression of voices of opposition.
The government will not notify Marquette’s Office of International Education of visa revocations or respond to OIE requests about revocations.
The DOS is supposed to notify students if their visa is revoked but may not always do so. Notice is usually sent to the email address you provided on the DS-160 form when you applied for your visa. If you are concerned about the status of your visa, you can check the DOS CEAC system for non-immigrant visas. If you cannot verify the status of your visa using the CEAC system, you can contact the U.S. embassy or consulate that issued your visa to determine the status of your visa.
Visa termination does not necessarily result in the loss of your F-1 or J-1 status. If your visa is terminated, please notify OIE right away so it can review your case and advise you on your options.

Suspension of appointments for visa applications and renewals

The DOS has stated that this suspension is intended to be temporary — most likely a matter of days or weeks but not months.
The DOS has stated that the purpose of the pause is to put in place expanded social media screening and other additional reviews of student and scholar visa applicants.
The DOS has encouraged applicants for visa renewals to complete the online visa application process and to regularly visit the embassy/consular website to make an appointment as soon as those become available again.

Impact on travel

Students who are likely to be impacted by the visa revocation, or who will need to renew their visa over the summer before returning to the U.S., should strongly consider postponing international travel.

OIE will continue to monitor these developments and will share additional updates as these policies progress. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to OIE with questions about any of this information.

Update from April 17, 2025

As a Catholic, Jesuit institution, Marquette remains steadfast in its commitment to serve our F-1 and J-1 international students and scholars as a welcoming learning community that is open to people from a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives. The university is also committed to following the law and related Marquette policies with respect to immigration enforcement actions by U.S. officials.

Considering these commitments, and in response to recent increases in immigration and visa enforcement activity by U.S. government officials involving international students and scholars, Marquette is providing the following information and guidance.

Policy changes and government action impacting F-1 and J-1 students and scholars

The Office of International Education will continue to monitor these issues and provide general updates as necessary. Students and scholars whose SEVIS records are terminated by the government will be notified directly by OIE. While OIE is able to direct international students and scholars to resources and provide support, the university is not able to provide legal representation or advice to those facing specific issues. See below for links to legal resources.

Visa status

The best way to avoid immigration status risk is to be sure to maintain your F or J status by knowing and following the F or J regulations. Visit the OIE website for a summary of the F regulations and related Marquette forms and procedures, as well as a summary of the J regulations and related Marquette forms and procedures. Contact OIE with questions about these regulations.

In cases of contact with U.S. government officials off-campus in public or at your home, international students and scholars should be familiar with their rights as an individual residing in the U.S. with legal status. A summary of these rights is available on the website of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Students and scholars who want to consult with an immigration attorney can also use the AILA website to connect with a licensed immigration lawyer.

International students and scholars should always carry a copy of their most recent I-94 as evidence of registration in the U.S. immigration system. To print a copy of the I-94, visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website. Students and scholars traveling in the U.S. outside of Milwaukee should also carry a copy of their I-20.

International travel

Students and scholars considering travel outside the U.S. should exercise additional caution before deciding to travel given what appears to be increased scrutiny and enforcement actions during routine inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection upon reentry. Information about USCBP inspections and legal rights during entry can be found at the US CBP webpage on CBP search authority and at the ACLU website on enforcement actions at the airport.

Travelers should keep in mind that once a person travels outside the U.S. they are no longer entitled to the same constitutional protections as those present in the country, and there would be very little that could be done to aid in their return if they were not allowed entry after travel abroad.

In addition, students and scholars considering travel outside the U.S. should be aware that there is a strong possibility that the U.S. government will publish a list requiring partial or full suspension of admission to the U.S. for nationals of the countries on the list. It is not clear at this time, however, what countries may be included in this action and how/if this would apply to students, scholars and researchers.

As a reminder, the documents required for reentry to the U.S. by individuals maintaining F-1 or J-1 include the following:

A valid passport
A valid F-1 or J-1 visa
An up to date I-20 or DS-2019 properly signed for travel

F-1 students traveling during approved OPT should also have a copy of their EAD card and a letter from their employer.

J-1 scholars are also encouraged to carry with them an updated letter from Marquette to confirm the university’s intention to continue their employment.

Existing protocol to respond to requests from outside law enforcement agencies 

Occasionally, outside law enforcement agencies will come to campus for investigations under their jurisdiction. For any outside agency that comes to campus, it has always been Marquette’s policy to direct officials to MUPD first to verify there is a legitimate, lawful request and then to respond as required under the law.  

If you are in a Marquette building and approached by an official from an outside law enforcement agency who requests access to university facilities, students or student education records, you can contact MUPD at 414-288-1911 or through the EagleEye app and ask the non-MUPD law enforcement official to wait until an MUPD officer arrives or direct them to the MUPD office. 
Under no circumstance should you physically block or interfere with their entry/enforcement action. For more information, consult this guidance for interacting with non-MUPD law enforcement agents.