US universities urge foreign students to return before Trump's inauguration: Report

Trump, set to take office as the 47th President on January 20, has announced plans to sign executive orders on immigration and the economy on his first day in office.

Citing disruptions caused by travel bans during his previous term, universities have advised caution for those planning to travel abroad around the inauguration period, news agency PTI reported.

David Elwell, Associate Dean and Director at MIT’s International Students Office, highlighted that administrative changes often bring shifts in policies impacting higher education, immigration, and visa matters, the report said.

In a post-election statement, he advised students to carefully evaluate their winter break travel plans, warning that new executive orders could affect visa processing and re-entry.

The Open Doors 2024 Report revealed that India has overtaken China as the leading source of international students in the U.S. for the first time since 2009.

During the 2023/2024 academic year, India accounted for 331,602 students, a 23% increase from the previous year, while China saw a 4% decline to 277,398 students.

Despite the drop, China remained the top sender of undergraduates and non-degree students.

Elwell also noted that U.S. Embassy and Consulate staffing transitions during election periods could further delay visa processing times, adding to the challenges faced by international students navigating travel during this period, according to the report.

David Elwell, Associate Dean and Director at MIT’s International Students Office, advised students needing a new entry visa to carefully evaluate potential delays in processing times.

He suggested contingency plans in case international travel requires waiting for a new visa, which could disrupt their ability to return to the U.S. as scheduled.

In a separate advisory, the Office of Global Affairs at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, urged its international community—including students, scholars, faculty, and staff under the university's immigration sponsorship—to strongly consider returning to the U.S. before the presidential inauguration if traveling abroad during the winter break, the PTI report said.

While emphasizing that this was not a mandate or based on any current U.S. government policy, the advisory highlighted that new administrations could enact policies immediately upon taking office.

Drawing from the experience of travel bans during Trump’s first term in 2017, the office explained that the recommendation was made as a precaution to minimize potential disruptions.

The advisory also clarified that it could not predict the specifics of any travel ban, such as affected regions or countries, if such a policy were to be enacted.

Meanwhile, The Wesleyan Argus, Wesleyan University's student newspaper, reported that the university has been reviewing potential implications of the Trump administration's policies for international and undocumented students. “Much uncertainty surrounds the possible changes to American immigration policy that could be enacted by the Trump administration beginning January 20, 2025.”

Wesleyan University's Office of International Student Affairs (OISA) expressed concern over potential sweeping immigration policy changes following President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, according to The Wesleyan Argus.

An email sent to international students on F-1 visas advised them to be in the U.S. by January 19, 2025, to avoid re-entry difficulties amid uncertainties surrounding Trump's plans.

The report recalled Trump's 2017 executive order, issued shortly after his first inauguration, which barred nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries and caused widespread disruptions and civil rights backlash.