As a result of the Sept. 11 attacks, the International Office has issued an advisory to many international students recommending against traveling home for the upcoming holiday break.
Since the terrorist attacks, the U.S. government has amended immigration regulations. The International Office has also altered their travel guidance in coordination with governmental shifts in policies. "We've been monitoring legislation and procedural changes and visa applications overseas," said Robin Catmur, advisor to International Students and Scholars.
To further monitor changes, the office has been kept up to date by officials from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), members of Congress, state and local officials and colleagues at other colleges.
This new warning outlines certain groups of individuals who should avoid traveling in the near future, such as those who had difficulty in attaining a U.S. visa and those with expired J-1 or F-1 visas. "If they do not have a valid visa to reenter the country, there could be delays in returning," Catmur said.
Students and faculty with visa problems are not the only ones who are discouraged to travel.
Male citizens aged 16 to 45 from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen are advised to remain in the United States by the International Office.
International students seemed somewhat prepared for this situation. "I'm traveling to Morocco and I'm not surprised about this warning. After the attacks, it became apparent that it was going to come down to something like this," Pakistani student Faris Rahman '04 said. "I have friends who had difficulty in returning to the country after Sept. 11, and I think the probability of a having a hassle will increase."
Imran Sharih '04, also a Pakistan native, was not surprised either. "It seems like a pretty standard practice for the State Department to put out," he said. "But I don't think I'll have any trouble making it back into the country."
Those who are also traveling to regions of current military intervention or civil uprisings are urged to think twice before leaving the country. Travel to countries deemed "terrorist countries" by the U.S. State Department, which include Iran, Iraq, Syria, Cuba, North Korea and Sudan, is discouraged. Citizens of these countries are further advised against international travel.
"We don't predict any danger, but it is possible that students may face difficulty in reentering the country," Catmur said.
The International Office is advising students to carefully document their papers, including proof of full-time enrollment at the College and good academic standing, as well as financial ability to cover academic costs.
"We hope that international students will face little to no difficulties in returning to this country after the break, but we have to be careful and at least provide the possible scenarios and prepare students [for] possible scenarios that can occur," said Stephen Silver, director of the International Office.
"This is the first advisory we put out," Catmur said. "And it's a direct result of legislative changes that have been passed." New changes to the travel advisory will be made in accordance with new law.
Some international students, however, do not plan to abide by these warnings.
"I think that it's not really of an issue for us," said Ryan Tan '05. "If we have to travel home, we have to. It's good that the International Office gives out such warnings, but other than that, we don't have a choice; there's nothing we can do about it."
In light of these difficulties, Catmur sums up by advising students "to be careful, to expect delays and to make sure papers are in order."
