Update on U.S. immigration restrictions

The federal government on Jan. 31 announced new U.S. immigration restrictions that will take effect Feb. 21 for citizens of six countries.

Under the government’s announcement, citizens of these countries will still be allowed to visit the United States. However, citizens of four countries – Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar (Burma) and Nigeria – will not be able to apply for visas to come to the United States as immigrants. Also, citizens of Sudan and Tanzania will not be eligible for a U.S. “diversity immigrant” visa.

International students and scholars at Stanford are typically in the United States on nonimmigrant visas, which are not affected by the additional restrictions announced today. The government’s existing travel ban, affecting several other countries, remains in place.

Stanford continues to welcome people from all over the world to be part of its mission of discovering and transmitting knowledge. We also continue to offer resources and connections to legal assistance for students with concerns about their immigration status. See this page of recently updated resources for additional information.

The Bechtel International Center will be hosting an information session for those with concerns or questions about the travel restrictions. The information session will be held Thursday, Feb. 13, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Assembly Room at the Bechtel International Center.

Stanford also encourages travelers to register out-of-country travel with the Office of International Affairs at this website.

Updated Feb. 6, 2020, with date and time of information session.