Officials urged international students late last month to return to the United States before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, a message that students said served as a reminder of the uncertainty that clouds international travel and the availability of visas in the near future. 

The email, sent from the International Services Office on Nov. 26, encouraged students to return to the United States before Trump can execute potential executive orders when he enters office on Jan. 20 that restrict travel. Some international students with F-1 visas — which allow students to travel to the United States to attend an accredited school or college — said they are worried about potential travel bans hindering their student status, and many fear that Trump’s policies could hinder their ability to find employment post graduation and remain in the United States.

Officials are not mandating the recommendation, the email states. But officials said the announcement was made out of an “abundance of caution” to prevent future student travel disruptions since the new administration can enact policies within days of taking office.

Trump issued an executive order one week into his first term that banned Syrian refugees indefinitely and people from Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Iran and Iraq, including those with a valid U.S. visa, from entering the country for 90 days. In September, Trump said he would ban refugees from the Gaza Strip and reinstate his previous travel ban.

“When I got the email, I was like, ‘Whoa this could be a lot more serious than I thought,’” said sophomore Bulgan Enkhjargal, who is from Mongolia. “But I did my best not to scare myself or anything because I knew that we’re gonna be fine, but the fact that we still got the email from ISO, from the school, was just kind of unsettling.” 

Enkhjargal, who serves as the assistant publicity director for the International Students Association, said she was initially confused why the email specified that students should return before Inauguration Day on Jan. 20 because classes for most degree programs begin on or before Jan. 13. 

She was originally “caught off guard” because she didn’t completely understand the potential complications a Trump presidency could have on international students, like limiting visas to people from certain countries, she said.

Trump’s 2017 travel ban was contested in the judicial system and in protests that erupted in airports and college campuses across the country, with some GW students arguing bans would limit campus diversity. In January 2017, an Iranian student, set to obtain his master’s degree from the University in applied economics, was refused a visa by the government following the travel ban.

University officials vocalized their support for international students immediately after Trump’s travel ban efforts and challenged the executive order’s initial version along with 30 other colleges and universities. In 2018, international student enrollment at GW dropped for the first time in nearly a decade from 15.1 to 14.2 percent. 

There are 3,044 international students currently enrolled at the University, according to a released report scheduled to be presented at a Faculty Senate meeting on Friday. 

University spokesperson Shannon McClendon said the email intended to raise awareness about possible changes that could occur when the new administration starts in January. She said the guidance, which other universities, like Cornell and Brown have similarly issued following the election, is “rooted” in keeping the campus community safe.

“As ISO monitors potential policy changes with the new administration, the office will continue to provide resources and guidance to ensure the entire community feels welcomed, valued, and supported in pursuing their academic and professional goals,” McClendon said in an email. 

Most international students hold either an F-1 or J-1 visa, which allows people to participate in specific education programs. Both visas typically end after a recipient graduates or completes an educational program with a one to two month grace period, depending on their permits. 

The email from ISO states that the office will host a Speak Easy Sips event Dec. 12 for students to meet with staff, discuss any “concerns” and build community with their peers during final exams.

Junior Carlos Herrera, an international affairs student from Mexico, said he was “worried” that officials felt it was necessary to send the email because it shows the severity of the possibility of travel bans. Herrera said he is concerned about the availability of H-1B visas, which allow employers to sponsor foreign workers in certain occupations because he hopes to remain in the country due to the better job prospects for his field in the United States compared to Mexico as he prepares to graduate spring 2026.

Trump heightened requirements for obtaining the H-1B visa in his first term, with denial rates for the program increasing amid his crackdown and a rise in the required minimum salary that employers must pay visa holders, until federal courts blocked the new regulations in 2020.

“For a lot of international students the end goal is to stay here and work, obtain a visa and then a green card, et cetera,” Herrera said. “And during his original presidency, the lottery system for work visa changed and things are very uncertain, especially because I’m going to be graduating during his presidency.” 

First-year Amen Tamirat Mulu, an economics and political science student from Ethiopia, said that throughout his college application process, he believed a second Trump term would not happen, but he is now worried about returning to the United States next year because he has to annually renew his visa. 

F-1 visas are usually valid for up to five years but depending on someone’s nationality can be shorter. The period for F-1 visas from Ethiopian nationals is one year.

“When I was in line to get my visa at the embassy around August of this year — around Aug. 6, that was the day of my visa appointment — I can say 30 people ahead of me were rejected, and it was for unexplained reasons, and a lot of people believe that it’s going to get even more strict as the years go by,” Mulu said.

Mulu said his visa expires next August and he still plans to return to Ethiopia to renew it, despite some of his peers’ reluctance to leave the United States due to fears of potential travel disruptions. He said those who chose to not renew their visa and return to Ethiopia after they graduate usually pursue other immigration efforts, like obtaining a green card, adoption or remaining in the country illegally. 

International students can remain in the United States with an expired F-1 visa as long as their I-20 form, a college-issued document showing a student’s status, is valid. 

“Even if it’s risky, I’d rather go through a legal and genuine process instead of trying to cheat the system like some of my fellow Ethiopian students,” he said in a message.

Mulu said Trump has a history of “uprooting” immigration policies “overnight” and the prospect of his executive orders make it challenging for Ethiopian international students to prepare for the future.

“This has certainly made it more difficult and more stressful of a situation,” Mulu said in a message. 

Junior Manya Dass, a psychology and marketing student from India and the president of ISA, said international students are scared about what’s to come next, specifically for students who must renew their visa annually, and for those trying to obtain an H-1B visa to remain and work in the United States. Dass said she would move back to her home country or to Europe if she is not able to obtain an H-1B visa after she graduates in spring 2026. 

“I have family who moved here during Trump’s administration in 2017,” Dass said. “During the travel ban, they couldn’t leave the country, and it was very hard for them to even stay with their work visas.”

Sophomore Rama Tunsi, an astronomy and astrophysics student from Saudi Arabia, said the University should keep students updated on policy that could affect them, especially those who might not be aware of Trump’s previous policies regarding immigration. Tunsi said she’s worried about changing attitudes toward immigrants during Trump’s second term because his rhetoric could embolden racism and xenophobia. 

“With him being president last time, it gave people that confidence to be able to just say whatever they please, so I am a little worried,” Tunsi said.

Paola Sigüenza, a sophomore from Mexico and the assistant director of collaborations for ISA, said she’d like the University to provide specialized personnel who can help students navigate any visa issues.

The ISO’s website states that students hold the “ultimate responsibility” of maintaining their legal status but includes resources like information about travel and the visa process.

“I know from other people who, for example, were accepted to this school but did not end up applying because the school did not help them get the student visas or advocate more for them in order to get them,” Sigüenza said. “If they had more specialized people to help you do that, I think that would help a lot of the international community.”