Caltech
International Offices
Home  /  Travel  /  Arrival in the United States  /  Travel Advice

Travel Advice

U.S. Immigration Documents. Non-U.S. citizens should review their international travel documents to ensure that they have the appropriate documentation in order to be re-admitted into the United States. If you have any questions about U.S. immigration documents, please contact the International Offices (iss@caltech.edu, isp@caltech.edu, or visa@jpl.nasa.gov) before departure.

Travel Advisories. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) provides Travel Alerts and Warnings based on country conditions or short-term events that U.S. citizens should know about when planning travel abroad. It can be helpful for non-U.S. citizens, too.

Be Courteous and Cooperative. If you are searched or detained, we recommend that you cooperate with CBP officials. Failure to cooperate may result in delays in the inspection process and/or detention of your devices. If you are on business travel you should report to your manager any CBP access to proprietary or business-sensitive data.

Electronic Devices. Electronic devices may be searched when entering the United States and other countries. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) provides recommendations for U.S. business travelers which apply to both U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens, specifically that individuals travel with clean devices.

When traveling with electronic devices it is recommended that you:

  • Backup your data before you travel, to ensure that your important information is available to you if your computer is seized.
  • Minimize the data you carry. Consider traveling with an empty device and accessing your data using VPN.
  • Password-protect and encrypt any sensitive or proprietary information on your computer.
  • Shut down devices during border crossings to prevent devices from being hacked.
  • If your device is searched and it contains any sensitive or proprietary information, let the CBP officer know as there are privacy protections that may apply.

JPL employees should review JPL Rules 78233 Recommendations for Protecting JPL-Provided Mobile Electronic Devices Outside of JPL and 77592 Hand Carrying JPL work related Documents, Laptops or other Information Storage Devices. If applicable, JPL employees should complete Form 7003 Foreign Business Travel Declaration and Certification.

Caltech employees may contact IMSS for advice and assistance with preparing electronic devices for international travel.