According to a CNN report, several major American universities, including New York University (NYU), Cornell University, and the University of Southern California, are advising international students to return to the U.S. ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Administrators reportedly fear that Trump may reinstate travel restrictions on certain countries, prompting institutions to warn students of potential entry difficulties if they delay their return.
Universities are urging international students, who are currently on winter break, to return to the US before the inauguration on Jan. 20, citing concerns that Trump may impose travel and visa restrictions during the transition period, it added.
International students typically hold nonimmigrant visas that permit them to study in the US, but the visas do not offer a legal means to remain in the country permanently.
Cornell University’s Office of Global Learning advised students traveling abroad to return before the start of the spring semester Jan. 21 or to "consult with an advisor regarding your travel plans and be ready for potential delays," according to the report.
The university warned students late last month that “a travel ban is likely to go into effect soon after inauguration.”
"The ban is likely to include citizens of the countries targeted in the first Trump administration: Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Myanmar, Sudan, Tanzania, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, and Somalia. New countries could be added to this list, particularly China and India," it added.
During his first presidency, Trump restricted entry from seven countries with majority-Muslim populations, which resulted in thousands of students being stranded abroad.