Several American universities, including Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania, have issued travel advisories to their international students and faculty, urging them to return to the U.S. before the new presidential administration takes office in January 2025 due to potential re-entry issues. As a result, some Chinese students studying in the U.S. have canceled their planned trips and voiced concerns, as reported by the Global Times.
According to Global Times, some Chinese students shared that they had called off their holiday trips back to China during the Christmas break and made alternative plans after receiving these warnings. Cornell University’s Office of Global Learning, in particular, issued guidance last week, informing international students, staff, and faculty about the likelihood of changes to the immigration landscape under the upcoming administration.
The advisory warns that a travel ban could be implemented shortly after the inauguration, potentially affecting citizens of countries targeted during the first Trump administration. These countries include Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Myanmar, Sudan, Tanzania, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, and Somalia. The advisory also suggests that new countries, particularly China and India, could be added to this list. International students, faculty, and staff from these regions have been advised to return to the U.S. well before the start of the spring semester on January 21, 2025.
One anonymous Chinese graduate student at Cornell told Global Times that she had canceled a planned family reunion trip to China to avoid any re-entry complications, despite her intended return date being before the inauguration. “I started receiving email alerts in early November, which made me reconsider my trip,” she said.
A Ph.D. candidate in a non-STEM field at Cornell also shared plans to avoid traveling back to China during future summer breaks until his studies are completed, in light of the uncertainty surrounding re-entry post-inauguration.
Global Times found similar advisories on the websites of other universities, such as the University of Pennsylvania, Boston University, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, all urging international students to return to the U.S. prior to the presidential inauguration on January 20, 2025.
Some students, even at schools that have not issued official travel alerts, have still opted to adjust or cancel their travel plans. A Duke University student, who wished to remain anonymous, told Global Times that she had canceled her holiday trip outside the U.S. to avoid potential re-entry issues. “I’m not sure what will happen after January 20, 2025, but the uncertainty is real, and it’s better to be cautious,” she explained.
Additionally, the Institute of International Education (IIE) recently reported that China is no longer the leading country of origin for international students in the U.S. for the first time in about 15 years, with India now taking the top spot. This finding was revealed in a report sponsored by the U.S. State Department, published on November 18, 2024.
