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General Recommendations for International Travel

Planning international travel? Immigration laws can change quickly and without warning, so it’s important to understand how current policies may affect your ability to leave and re-enter the United States. Whether you are a visa holder, permanent resident, or U.S. citizen, the guidelines below outline key considerations before traveling abroad. 
General Recommendations:

  1. Visa holders (nonimmigrants): Do not leave the U.S. if at all possible, due to the fast-paced and unpredictable nature of immigration policy changes. If you must travel, please contact our office so that we can advise specifically on your particular plans.

    Due to a high volume of visa revocations by the Department of State, be sure to check the validity of your visa online before leaving the U.S. here.

  2. Permanent residents (green card holders): International travel is not restricted for permanent residents in general. That said, we recommend caution for citizens of countries currently subject to U.S. travel bans, which includes Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, as well as those with Palestinian Authority Travel Documents. We also recommend caution for any permanent residents with other complicating factors, such as encounters with law enforcement, expired green cards, or extended absences (over 6 months) from the United States. If you have specific questions about your situation, please contact our office to discuss further.

  3. U.S. citizens: There are no travel restrictions under U.S. immigration law that directly impact U.S. citizens. If you are also a citizen of another country, you must always enter the U.S. with your valid U.S. passport.

  4. All travelers: We recommend all travelers practice good “digital hygiene” for your electronic devices when traveling to and from the United States, including setting all devices on airplane mode before approaching an immigration officer. For more information see our LEGALcurrents “Preparing for Electronic Device Searches at United States Borders“.

Additional Information:

Visit HSE’s Trump Administration Immigration Updates resource page for additional insights and resources.

Harter Secrest & Emery’s Immigration practice group will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as they become available.

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