2026 Travel Guidance

On December 16, 2025, the Presidential Proclamation Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States announced a new travel ban that went into effect on January 1, 2026. This updates the current travel ban that was issued by Executive Order on June 4, 2025.

• The June 2025 travel ban prohibits citizens of listed countries (with some exceptions) from entering the United States, if they (i) were outside the United States on June 9, 2025; and (ii) did not have a valid visa on June 9, 2025.
• The December 2025 travel ban made some adjustments to the impacted countries and prohibits citizens of the countries that were added to the list (with some exceptions) from entering the United States, if they (i) are outside the United States on January 1, 2026; and (ii) do not have a valid visa on January 1, 2026.

Effective June 9, 2025:

• Full Travel Ban. Citizens of the following countries are prohibited from entering the United States:
  Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. 
• Partial Travel Ban. Citizens of the following countries seeking to use immigrant, B-1, B‑2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas are prohibited from entering the United States:
  Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Togo, Sierra Leone, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Effective January 1, 2026:

• Full Travel Ban. Citizens of the following countries are prohibited from entering the United States:
  Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Palestinian Authority travel documents, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. 
• Partial Travel Ban. Citizens of the following countries seeking to use immigrant, B-1, B‑2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas are prohibited from entering the United States:
  Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan (immigrant visa only), Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Exceptions. The Travel Ban does not apply to citizens of the countries listed above who are U.S. permanent residents, or dual citizens with other countries if traveling on another, no-banned country's passport. Additional exceptions are listed in the Travel Ban.

Since June 18, 2025, the Department of State has been conducting social media vetting for F-1, F-2, J-1 and J-2 visa applicants.

Effective December 15, 2025, the Department of State will expand its online presence vetting procedures to include all H-1B and H-4 visa applicants at U.S. consular posts abroad.

All F, J, and H visa applicants will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to "public."

If you have had an encounter with U.S. law enforcement that resulted in you being fingerprinted and or arrested, it is possible that any future visa application, even for a new classification, may not be successful. You should expect a lengthy visa issuance delay for administrative processing, and it is also possible that your visa application may be denied. If you are inside the United States and would need to apply for a U.S. visa if you travel abroad, and if you had a prior U.S. law enforcement encounter, we suggest that you reconsider your international travel plans. You may also wish to consult with an Immigration Attorney about your situation.

Where to Apply. On October 9, 2025, the Department of State issued updated guidance that visa applicants should schedule their visa interview appointments at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their country of nationality or residence or in a designated location. If you apply outside your country of nationality or residence, expect the wait times for an appointment to be much longer. If you apply in your country of residence, you will need to demonstrate your ties to that country.

Schedule your Interview Before you Travel. Visa appointment availability may be limited. We continue to recommend that international students and scholars, and their dependents who need to apply for a new visa should only leave the United States once they have secured a visa appointment.

Tips to Schedule an Interview. A scholar who successfully obtained an H-1B visa in India shared the following tips on how to move an interview date forward, without requesting a formal expedite:

• Check the appointment availability slots daily. Do not do it more than three times in one day, otherwise your account will be blocked for 72 hours.
• Join a Facebook group or other social media to connect with other people who are also looking for visa appointments and posting updates.
• Follow the U.S. Embassy and Consulates because in some countries, they regularly post about appointment openings.

In-Person Interview Waiver. On September 18, 2025, the Department of State issued an Interview Waiver Update which states most nonimmigrant visa applications will require an in-person interview with a consular officer. The Update provides details about the three limited groups of exceptions, none of which are likely to apply to Caltech/JPL international students or scholars.

International students and scholars are required to be outside the United States in order to apply for a U.S. visa.

Nonimmigrant visa fees. The current schedule for nonimmigrant visa fees is listed on the U.S. Department of State website.

Visa integrity fee. The visa integrity fee will be at least $250. It will be paid upon issuance of any nonimmigrant visa and may be reimbursed for nonimmigrants who comply fully with the terms of their visa, including avoiding unauthorized employment, and who either depart the United States promptly at the end of their authorized stay or obtain a lawful extension or adjustment of status. While the fee is effective as of July 4, 2025, there is no mechanism yet to pay it.

Reciprocity fees. In addition to the fees listed above, U.S. Consulates charge visa reciprocity fees for certain visa types issued to citizens of certain countries based on the validity period. The amount and the validity periods of reciprocity fees change periodically. Before you travel and need to apply for a visa, review the Visa Reciprocity Schedule. For example:

• H-1B visa issued to a Chinese citizen has no reciprocity fee and is valid for a maximum period of 12 months
• H-1B visa issued to a French citizen has $465 reciprocity fee and is valid for a maximum period of 36 months
• H-1B visa issued to an Australian citizen has a $1,695 reciprocity fee and is valid for a maximum period of 48 months
• F-1 visa issued to a Greek citizen has $0 reciprocity fee for a 12 month validity period or an $80 reciprocity fee for a 60 month validity period

As of July 9, 2025, U.S. visas for citizens of a number of countries, including Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Syria, and Zimbabwe, will be limited to single entry and valid for a maximum period of 3 months.

While inside the United States, international students and scholars should carry a document that demonstrates your evidence of registration, such as a hard copy I-94 or EAD. See Identification Documents for more details.

See Tracking Immigration Changes for a summary of recent Executive Orders, Presidential Proclamations, Rules, and memoranda.

International Travel in 2025
Over the past few weeks, the International Offices have hosted listening sessions for the Caltech and JPL international student and scholar community, and we have been in conversations with our networks regarding international travel and visa issuance during the new administration. We are aware that some U.S. universities have urged international students and scholars to be inside the United States prior to the U.S. inauguration day of January 20, 2025. Caltech Winter Term starts on January 6, 2025, we expect that all students attending classes will have returned to the United States by the start of term. Although we cannot be certain of the impacts on international travel or visa issuance, we offer the following considerations:

• Previous travel bans, put in place during the first Trump Administration, included restrictions for certain citizens of Eritrea, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Venezuela, and Yemen. Based on this, experts have advised that citizens of these countries return from any international travel to the United States before January 20, 2025.
• Individuals with dual citizenships and all or certain nonimmigrant statuses, such as F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors, were granted exemptions from previous travel bans.
• Citizens of other countries who have a valid U.S. visa, are not expected to have difficulties reentering the United States.
• Visa processing timelines are expected to increase in 2025, regardless of citizenship. This may include increased referrals for Administrative Processing. It is possible that the visa interview waiver process will end.
• Typically, travel to a particular country does not impact one's eligibility to reenter the United States. The Visa Waiver Program is an exception.

We know that uncertainty can be frustrating and even stressful, but we hope that the points above will help guide you in your decision regarding international travel in 2025. We will continue to communicate and share updates, as needed.

Ilana Smith
Director, International Offices
December 9, 2024

Canadians with a NEXUS card (which allows the use of Global Entry) should ensure that their account is set up properly. The automated entry machines will default to B-1 status unless you specify you are in a different status (F-1/J-1/H-1B/etc.) in the global entry app.

Download the Global Entry app, enter your pass ID on the back of the NEXUS card, answer "No" to being a US citizen or permanent resident, answer "Yes" to set a preferred class of admission (COA), and specify your immigration status (F-1/J-1/H-1B/etc.) as your preferred COA. If Canadians use the automated machines they should check their I-94 status right away and talk to an agent if it was incorrectly assigned as B-1. If you find out after you leave the airport, let your ISP/ISS/JPLIO advisor know immediately so we can guide you on how to correct the error.

Suspension of Entry. The Suspension of Entry as Nonimmigrants of Certain Students and Researchers from the People's Republic of China (PRC). Proclamation 10043 of May 29, 2020. This suspends the entry to the United States of F and J graduate students and researchers from the PRC whose study or research contributes to the PRC's "military‑civil fusion strategy." "Military-civil fusion strategy" is described in the Proclamation as "actions by or at the behest of the PRC to acquire and divert foreign technologies, specifically critical and emerging technologies, to incorporate into and advance the PRC's military capabilities." This Proclamation is based on an individual's country of citizenship (China). It does not apply to undergraduates.

Exemptions. The Proclamation contains exemptions, for example:

• foreign nationals who have a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident spouse
• foreign nationals who are studying or conducting research in a field that would not contribute to the PRC's military‑civil fusion strategy
• foreign nationals whose entry would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their designees

If you believe that you would qualify for an exemption, we suggest that you consult with an immigration attorney since visa applications and admission into the United States are personal applications and are beyond the scope of the International Offices.

Employment While Abroad. Out-of-country remote work is rarely possible. If you are a current Caltech postdoc or staff member, contact Employee and Organizational Development (EOD) prior to making any plans for departure. EOD will evaluate your situation and provide guidance. If you are a current JPL postdoc or staff member, contact your organization's HR business partner (HRBP) (internal site). Caltech and JPL postdocs and staff members will not be able to start new employment while outside the United States. Professorial faculty members should contact International Scholar Services prior to making any plans to work abroad.