As we head into the holiday season, we sit down with Andy Shiotani, Director, ISSS, and Kelsey Dennis, Assistant Director, ISSS (Undergraduates), to ask all the questions you have about international travel as an F-1 or J-1 visa holding student.
As we head into the holiday season, we sit down with Andy Shiotani, Director, ISSS, and Kelsey Dennis, Assistant Director, ISSS (Undergraduates), to ask all the questions you have about international travel as an F-1 or J-1 visa holding student.
Don't forget to check out the following resources:
1) ISSS Travel Resources for International Students
2) ISSS Requesting a Travel Signature:
3) Form I-94 arrival record (after re-entry into the U.S.)
4) ISSS Assessing Travel Safety
5) Book an appointment with ISSS
Music provided by Blue Dot Sessions, Greylock.
[00:08] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): Hello, this is Worldview Wavelengths, a podcast by the International Student Advising Team here in the College at Brown University. I'm your host, Anastasia Dementieva, and I'm the International Student Program Manager.
If you're new here, this podcast is here to provide you with all sorts of resources about how to navigate academics and finances as an international student. While we mainly focus on F1 visa holding undergraduate students, all are invited to tune in and listen.
With the holiday season approaching, our episode today focuses on something that's probably on many students' minds, international travel. Joining me today are two very special guests from International Student and Scholar Services, Andy Shiotani, Director of ISSS, and Kelsey Dennis, Assistant Director of ISSS for Undergraduate Students. Andy, Kelsey, thank you so much for joining us today. Could you please introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit more about the ISSS?
[01:05] Andy Shiotani: Sure. So International Student and Scholar Services is the office here at Brown University. Everybody might know it as the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, but that got a little long. So now we're officially just called ISSS, International Student and Scholar Services.
So our unit helps international students as well as scholars, faculty members, about anything about immigration or visas, about coming to the United States, what they need to get here, to stay here, to be in compliance. And we help them throughout that process. And then as they prepare to head on to the next stage of their career, we're here to help them with that. But our special area or specific area is on visas and immigration.
[01:51] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): Thank you, Andy. And I'm sure that something that's on a lot of international students' mind right now, especially with the holiday season approaching and with somewhat heightened anxiety and uncertainty of this time, is international travel. For international students who are considering international travel, what are the most important things that they should be aware of?
[02:13] Andy Shiotani: Yeah, and I'm going to invite Kelsey to also jump in, but I'll start. So it's been a very, very, you know, a time of a lot of change in the immigration landscape for international students and scholars. And travel is a big part of what our students and scholars come to us to talk about.
And I know there's a lot of anxiety and worry out there, but I just wanted to mention that just to, you know, frame my answers that a lot of international students and scholars, they travel successfully every day. So it's really just a matter of being aware and being prepared for any trip that you're planning to take. to have the right documents in place, to be aware of the risks, to do some self-assessment and self-education.
So we've prepared a lot of resources on our website. We've spent quite a bit of time recently upgrading our website to make sure that the most recent information is available so people can read through the documents that they're required to carry, read through the kinds of risks that might happen, read through the immigration process and be able to understand that.
So, those are things that we really want to emphasize or I think are really important to emphasize up front is that just being aware and being prepared and making sure that you've done, you know, gone through the checklist and make sure that you have everything you need. Most travel is going to be successful, but there are definitely some hazards and there are some risks that everybody needs to be aware of and to be prepared for.
[03:48] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): Kelsey, do you want to add anything?
[03:49] Kelsey Dennis: Sure. Yeah, we will be issuing a travel advisory email in the next week or so. And so do keep an eye out for that in your inbox. That will have some tips for travel over Thanksgiving break, winter break, and so forth.
If you do have an issue, you get stuck, something comes up that's making you concerned about your travel or your visa situation, feel free to email me directly at kelsey underscore dennis at brown dot edu. And I'll be monitoring that email box even during the breaks, and I can respond if there's an emergency that we can help with or if we can put you in touch with somebody who can help.
[04:28] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): That's fantastic. And it is great to know that that email address will be available during the winter break season. So thank you so much for doing that. You mentioned the importance of preparing. What are some steps that students should do to do that?
[04:41] Andy Shiotani: The first thing is to go through the document checklist we have on our website, which is still iss.brown.edu, and go to the Travel section. And we have a section for international students. And make sure that all of your documents are prepared and ready.
So you're going to need a valid passport to re-enter. You're going to need to have a valid visa, a student visa, F1 or J1 student visa, to re-enter in the United States. Then you're going to want to make sure your I-20 or your DS-2019 form has a valid travel signature.
And on the travel signature, I would say don't panic if you forgot to get one before you left because we can always produce an updated I-20, get that signed and delivered to you electronically. So you don't need a travel signature to leave. It's just when you come back from break, but taking care of it obviously before you leave is, you know, really a great proactive step but just wanted to emphasize it's not, you know, um, there are still going to be options, there's still going to be a way for you to get that signature done before you return.
In addition to that, you know, we also say that you should carry copies of your financial documents. So your scholarship letter or bank letter showing how you're financing your studies and a transcript or an enrollment verification form from the registrar's office that shows that you're a full-time student. If you've already selected your classes for the upcoming semester, showing that you're coming back to, you know, again, study full-time. So those are a couple of things. Have I missed anything, Kelsey?
[06:17] Kelsey Dennis: You know, you might also have a copy of your most recent I-94 on you to show that you were most recently entered to the U.S. in F-1 status or J-1 status.
The travel signature, you know, it's valid for one year. And so if you want to just go ahead and request that while you're thinking about it, that's great. We have a request process through the ISSS Gateway Portal. So you just go in there to the Requests and Documents tab, and then you can click on the Reprint Travel Signature Request option and submit that.
If you are on post-completion OPT, we would also recommend that you have evidence of your employment with you when you travel, and of course your OPT card, the EAD, Employment Authorization Document, should also be with you.
[07:01] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): Thanks for bringing up the OPT students. Are there any additional considerations for students who are on OPT?
[07:08] Kelsey Dennis: Well, you know, one thing is the travel signature is only valid for six months when students are on OPT. So you do want to request a travel signature more often when you're on that post completion, you know, after graduation OPT.
And the I-20, you know, ideally also has your up to date employment information on it. So if you've reported that either through the government portal or through the ISSS gateway portal, that will also print on the second page of the I-20.
[07:34] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): And are there any special considerations for students who are traveling on Brown-related travel? So, for example, students who are using Travel Pilot Program or perhaps somebody who's traveling for a winter course as part of that program. Are there any other resources and steps that they should be aware of?
[07:50] Andy Shiotani: Yeah, that's a great, great reminder. So if you are going on Brown travel and that includes, you know, travel that is financially supported by Brown or for a Brown-related academic activity, like a course that's taking place, this is true for winter break or at any time during your studies, you do need to register your travel with TravelSafe.
So you'll register your travel and then you'll get access to resources. They include possibly international SOS travel insurance, access to additional legal resources. So it's really important, though, to register your travel through Brown Travel and TravelSafe. And I think we have the website for Brown Travel on the link to their website on our website.
So it's a different office, Office of Global Travel Risk and Resilience that manages the Travel Safe program. But just make sure that you register and then you'll be given a lot of information about additional resources that are available to you.
[08:53] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): What I'm hearing is really go and look at OSSS's website because there's a lot of information there that should be reviewed accurately.
[09:00] Andy Shiotani: Yeah, we made a big effort over the last few weeks to really get upgraded and updated information so that, you know, a lot of questions are answered right there. We wanted that information to be accessible to everybody. So hopefully it's of help.
[09:15] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): I have found it very helpful as I was reviewing it, so I'm sure that a lot of people will find it helpful. We talked a little bit about how to prepare for traveling, and I think one of the stressors in the travel process is also reentering the U.S. and specifically going through immigration and border control. What are some tips and advice that you have to prepare for that interaction?
[09:38] Andy Shiotani: Well, let me begin by first saying I totally understand that anxiety, right? Even I get anxious when I come back to the United States sometimes because do I have the right documents? Do I have my passport on me? But as I mentioned before, it's really important to be prepared and to be confident in your preparation.
But it's a good idea to just check your documents again. Make sure your passport is valid, your visa is valid, your I-20 has been signed or your DS-2019 has been signed. And the signature, again, is no more than one year old for continuing students or six months for OPT students. So, again, looking at your documents, making sure you've collected everything.
Make sure that it's in your carry-on luggage. Don't put it in your checked baggage because you're going to go through immigration before you see your luggage at baggage claim.
And then be very clear and confident about what you are coming to the United States and be able to communicate. Don't be nervous. Be polite. Be professional. Just tell your story very succinctly. Don't answer more or don't provide more information than you're being asked to, but just answer the questions directly.
Just communicate what you're doing. You're a Brown undergraduate student. You're here to get your degree at Brown. What kinds of classes are you taking? This is what I'm doing. This is what my major is. You know, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers want to hear a story that is consistent with what the documents are telling them.
So, you know, they're looking for evidence that you're a full-time student. You're studying at Brown. You're studying the major that is indicated on your documents. And just be really, really, you know, assured that your documents and your story, what you're saying in your answers to your questions are really aligned. And I think that we'll get through. That would be what is necessary and what will be effective for the vast majority of our students who are coming back.
[11:37] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): And for the non-vast majority then to give a little bit of reassurance what resources are available if something goes wrong in that process and maybe there's a little extra scrutiny for students.
[11:48] Andy Shiotani: Yeah. So, you know, most immigration is a two-step process. Well, most of the times when you come to the United States, you go through something called primary inspection. That's somebody who's asking you questions really, really quickly, right? And if they are good with the answers you provide, they'll stamp you as an F-1 student or J-1 student, and you'll come in.
But sometimes they do need additional information, and you may be referred to something called secondary inspection. And that's a different room. People get very nervous, very understandably about that. So you have to think of it, though, I think, and I would recommend everybody think of it as a fact-finding session, right?
They can't figure out all the details regarding you in that one-minute interaction you're having when you first arrive. So they need to get more facts. I would recommend that you always have contact information with you, not only on your phone, but on a card, for example.
So that might include the administrator on call, the number for that, the number for our office. I would also just carry numbers for, you know, a friend or a family member. Just have that contact information available to you in a couple of different places. You may get the chance to call us even before you go through the immigration inspection.
But once you go through immigration inspection, you know, the opportunities to contact somebody may be limited. It may be determined by the officer who's on there, and they may have instructions about when and who and so on. But I think having that contact information available to you, again, both on your phone and in a physical card that you carry with you, is a really good idea so that you can contact us.
If you can land in the United States during business hours, because then it makes it a little bit easier to get in touch with somebody. That's, you know, Monday to Friday, nine to five. Those are, you know, I know not all flights can be scheduled in that way. But, you know, if you have an option to arrive during business hours, that just makes it a little bit easier to get in touch with somebody. Kelsey, do you have any other thoughts to add to that?
[14:02] Kelsey Dennis: You know, one thing is sometimes the Customs and Border Protection agent will call our office. They have access to SEVIS, the government database in secondary inspection. And so they have our contact information and sometimes they reach out to verify information about students' enrollment, for instance.
And so they may contact us or you could suggest that they do if you think that that might be helpful. And your DSO, which is your designated school official and the person that's probably listed on your I-20. So you could point to that to say this is my school contact for immigration purposes, for instance.
[14:40] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): That's super helpful. And I'm assuming all the contacts that you just mentioned are also listed on your website, right?
[14:46] Andy Shiotani: Yeah, although we're putting them in different places on our website. So yes, they'll be available.
[14:52] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): Great. Awesome. So really, really, really check out the website because it's so full of information and very helpful. And you could even print out the pages from the website and have them as a checklist for as you prepare.
[15:02] Andy Shiotani: Absolutely. And as Kelsey mentioned earlier, we're sending along an email winter travel advisory. So we do recommend you keep that email for ready reference, you know, maybe print out a copy even.
Also, one other thing is during the holidays when you're on break, check your Brown email once in a while because if there is something that really is important that changes the landscape, then we will definitely still communicate that out to your Brown email address.
[15:29] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): Excellent. So we've gotten in the process so far as, okay, we've reentered the country. What next?
[15:35] Andy Shiotani: Right. So really important step. And I think a lot of people, a lot of students, a lot of scholars are just, you know, they're just so relieved that they've managed to make it through. Then it's all done and over with. But there is still a really important step that needs to be taken, which is to check your I-94.
And so what is the I-94? It's just a record that you arrived in the United States, you went through immigration, they processed you, and they said in their records they have you as an F-1 student or a J-1 student, and that you are allowed to stay in the United States as long as you're a student as indicated on your I-20 or your DS-2019 form.
Really super important to check that that's accurate because if there are mistakes, there could be problems down the road in terms of your legal status. Only takes a minute to check it and print it out. Keep a copy with you at any time you're in the United States. So it sounds like a lot of work. But, you know, just print it out. Keep a copy in your bag or a copy on your phone. That should be fine, too.
Because while you're in the United States, you want to show that you came into the United States legally, that U.S. Customs cleared you to enter legally. And that's your evidence. Um, the I-94 form is, you can print it out from a website. There's no charge. It's just HTTPS colon backslash backslash I-94 dot CBP dot DHS dot gov. You look for the I-94 and you print it out.
Now don't print out your travel history. A lot of people do that. It's not the record of when you came and when you have left, it's the actual I-94. That's the thing that you need to select and print out and carry with you while you're in the U.S.
[17:23] Kelsey Dennis: It'll have your entry date. It'll say F1 and then D slash S for duration of status. And you can also upload that to your ISSS gateway portal. So there's a space for you to do that under the personal and program section. And every time you enter the U.S., I would recommend that you download the PDF and upload it to your gateway portal record for safekeeping.
[17:46] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): Excellent. Thank you so much. So we covered really a lot of information and it feels like a lot of students are traveling successfully reentering. But what for students who are still feeling a little bit on the fence about traveling? Are there some questions that they should be asking themselves? Are there some additional resources to assess their risk situation? What will be your advice?
[18:11] Andy Shiotani: Yeah, I think one of the first steps that a student could take, and that's a really good question, so thanks for asking that, is to, again, I hate to sound like a broken record, but we now have a page on our website called Assessing Travel Safety. It doesn't cover everything that could happen or that could be applicable to a traveler, but it covers the most important, I think, issues or questions that we want people to ask themselves.
So there are certain circumstances where we would advise somebody not to travel and so that those questions are reflected on our travel safety assessment. So it might be that you're from a country that is currently under a travel ban for example so we would advise not to travel, your visa might be expired. So, you know, for winter break, there's probably not enough time for you to go get a visa and come back before spring semester. And then there are some other criteria that we also mentioned. Like, have you ever had interactions with U.S. law enforcement?
And so that's worth a conversation, definitely. I'm not saying don't travel if you have, but it is definitely worth reviewing if you've had some kind of an interaction with U.S. law enforcement. And that could include anything from a DUI, driving under the influence, a domestic situation, other more serious situations. I know it's very difficult to talk about some of these things, but even an interaction could create visa problems or visa issues or it could delay your entry into the United States.
So we definitely want you to be proactive and to talk to us. We may, in certain cases, recommend talking to an immigration lawyer, but talk to us first and then we can see. But first step is to take a look at our travel safety assessment guide, see if anything hits or resonates with you.
One thing I want to mention also is social media, because that's been a big, big issue that's gotten a lot of attention. So, yes, the government is looking at social media accounts much more actively than they used to. You know, it could be anything, evidence of unauthorized employment. So, you know, you're on a student visa. You can only work in certain situations. But if they see something that, you know, maybe was perfectly allowed but could be misinterpreted, you know, you have to be mindful of those situations.
Could also be, you know, and I hate to say it, but there could also be issues with political speech that have become very, very sensitive nowadays. And so we have to also think about that. Not telling people to go out and delete their social media accounts. That, in fact, raises suspicion sometimes, right? You're 20 years old and you don't have a social media account. You know, it's just a judgment call that has to be made, I think, in terms of how you present yourself to the outside world.
[21:03] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): And you mentioned that it is possible to schedule meetings with your office to assess the individual circumstances.
[21:09] Andy Shiotani: Yeah, absolutely. You can schedule it with Kelsey, schedule it with me. And I'm happy to talk with anybody about their concerns about travel under these circumstances. And in certain cases, the issues can get complex, so we may need to bring in other resources. In a lot of cases, it's just talking through the process, and we're happy to do that.
[21:37] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): That's great. I'll make sure to include the link to the Calendly and how to book an appointment in the description of this episode. So we covered a lot about traveling, and not everybody's going to be traveling, right? Some people are going to be spending the winter break here in Providence in the U.S. What advice would you have to students who are either staying in Providence or traveling domestically?
[21:58] Kelsey Dennis: I would say definitely check out what the Global Brown Center is going to be offering for programming and ways of finding other people that are on campus and in the area that you can connect with so that you have some friendly faces that you're seeing. And it is going to get pretty dark and cold, so you want to try to keep busy and social.
From an immigration perspective, maybe keep some copies of your documents with you. If you are going to be leaving the Providence area, I would suggest bringing your passport, but keeping it safe because it is difficult to replace that if it gets lost, especially the visas in it. And keep your I-20 with you, too.
[22:39] Andy Shiotani: Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, earlier I mentioned that it's important to print out and keep a copy of your I-94 with you. And I think that's something you want to do, even if you're in the local area, but certainly if you're going for a few days to New York or Los Angeles or wherever. It's in the United States. You're not going to go through immigration inspection, but...
If something happens, if there is immigration activity that goes on even inside the U.S., if you're required to show who you are and what your status is, having at least that I-94 with you. And then also, again, if you are not in the immediate vicinity, maybe taking your I-20 with you or your DS-2019 with you and your passport.
But when you're walking around town, maybe keep the passport in your hotel or something like that. Keep it safe. Really hard to replace your passport if it ever gets stolen. We can always replace an I-20. That's not a problem. The I-94 is, you know, you download it from a website. So getting that is not a problem. Passport you want to keep it safe and secure because you know aside from immigration it could also be used in identity theft and things like that so you do want to be very very mindful of where your original documents are.
Is there anything that we haven't covered that you think it's important for students to keep in mind? Yeah, I think, you know, we definitely want you to check out. We've covered it, but I'll just repeat it again. Definitely want you to check out our new travel section on our website because it does have a lot of detail about the issues we've covered.
I do want to be very, very mindful that I know that students are anxious in this current environment, but I also want to sort of give out the positive message that so many students do travel successfully. And travel should be successful as long as you have the documents that you're required to have. And you're able to coherently present and calmly and patiently and professionally present the story that you are going to be asked to present, which is that you're a Brown student. You're coming to study at Brown. You understand the requirements of the visa. You're in compliance. And that all the evidence that they see in front of them is going to align with that so just really underscoring that point.
But do absolutely take a look at our travel safety page you know again not everything is covered there but most of the important things because we also want you to make that self-assessment. If you're outside of the United States also and you found that you lost your documents or you need some things replaced, again, depends on what you've lost, what's gotten stolen. The passport is a really tricky one if it gets lost or stolen. We do have a web page on this, on what to do if your documents are lost or stolen.
But, you know, I think keeping copies, especially if you're outside the United States on vacation travel, it's easier to replace things if you have a copy that you can show. But don't panic, you know, but get in touch with us as soon as possible once you've identified that that's happened to you.
[25:51] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): Thank you. Kelsey, is there anything that you would like to add?
[25:54] Kelsey Dennis: Well, if you do have a concern over a break, whether it's a security concern, feel free to contact Brown's Public Safety Office. And they're going to be around and able to help. And you can also, as I said, send an email if you have a concern about one of your documents or another situation that we might be able to help with. You're not abandoned over a break, so you can reach out to us if needed. and we'll do our best to be in touch with you as quickly as possible.
[26:25] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): That hopefully can be a very reassuring message together with everything that we discussed today showing that students are indeed traveling and it's just about planning for it. To wrap up our conversation for today and wish everybody safe travels and everybody who's staying here to enjoy the winter break and come by our office when the university is open because we're also going to have less appointments and we're also going to be bored maybe.
[26:48] Andy Shiotani: It's true.
[26:50] Host (Anastasia Dementieva): Absolutely thank you and thank you all for listening we hope you enjoyed our conversation and we'll see you next time.