The summer is one of the busiest travel times of the year, and a time when many foreign nationals and their families take the opportunity to leave the U.S. for visits home and to renew visa stamps and other biographic documents. U.S. Consulates and Embassies around the world are particularly busy during this time of year with increased demand for visa appointments and staff shortages as consular staff take their own vacations. Moreover, with various news reports circulating regarding heightened scrutiny at ports-of-entries into the U.S., many travelers – whether foreign nationals in the U.S. on a work visa, Legal Permanent Residents ("green card" holders), or even U.S. citizens – are wary of what risks may be involved with traveling outside the U.S. this summer.
As detailed below, all individuals living and working in the U.S. who are planning to travel internationally this summer should plan now to ensure that they and their families have the proper documents in hand and that visa appointments are scheduled well in advance at U.S. consular posts abroad.
Below, we list a few key points that foreign national employees, green card holders, and U.S. citizens should consider prior to traveling internationally:
Check the validity of travel documents – including U.S. passports
Travelers should first review the expiration date of their passport. All individuals returning to the U.S. after international travel, including foreign nationals, U.S. citizens, and green card holders, must have a valid passport to be admitted back to the U.S. Further, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will not admit a foreign national for a period of stay beyond the expiration of their passport, while many foreign nationals must have a passport valid for 6 months beyond their intended period of stay in the U.S. All individuals returning to the U.S. after foreign travel must therefore check the validity of their passports before leaving the U.S. and foreign nationals may wish to renew their passports while in their home country to avoid being admitted into the U.S. for less time than they are otherwise entitled to.
In addition, with very limited exceptions, to re-enter the U.S. after travel abroad, foreign nationals must have a visa stamp in their passport that reflects their nonimmigrant status in the U.S. and is valid at the time of their return. If the visa stamp has expired or will expire before they return to the U.S., foreign nationals will need to apply for a new visa at a U.S. consular post outside the U.S.
Schedule visa appointments early
To obtain a new visa stamp or renew an expiring visa, foreign nationals and their families will need to attend an in-person visa appointment at a U.S. consulate or embassy outside of the United States (a very limited pilot program to renew visa stamps from within the U.S. was rolled out last year, but almost certainly will not be expanded under the current administration and therefore should not be relied on). Most U.S. consular posts around the world have either slightly or widely different processes to schedule a visa appointment. Foreign nationals should therefore carefully review and follow the procedures at their chosen U.S. consular post. Further, as noted above, during the summer – one of the busiest travel times of the year – there is less availability of visa appointments at all U.S. consular posts around the world. Foreign nationals should therefore take all these points into consideration and schedule visa appointments as early as possible, allowing for flexibility in their own travel arrangements if desired appointment dates are not available.
The general process to schedule a U.S. visa appointment requires completing a separate online DS-160 form for each applicant (including small children); setting up an account on the U.S. consular post's visa appointment scheduling site; paying visa application fee(s); and then scheduling the visa appointment. Some consular posts require applicants to schedule two or sometimes even three separate appointments to provide biometrics (fingerprints/digital photo), attend the in-person interview at the U.S. consular post, and then pick up their passport from a central pick-up location.
While the general outlines of scheduling and attending a visa appointment outside the U.S. have not changed under the new administration, certain procedural changes have taken place over the last few months that require additional early planning. Under the new administration, the Department of State (DOS) has restricted which foreign nationals are eligible to use the "interview waiver" process, i.e., to obtain a new visa stamp without attending an in-person interview. Moreover, online DS-160 forms must now be submitted at least 48 business hours prior to the consular interview and in the case of certain consular posts, must be submitted before the applicant can even schedule their interview. Lastly, over the last few months, many U.S. consular posts have rolled out new visa appointment scheduling websites. The new sites are riddled with technical glitches and other issues, thus increasing the time – and patience – needed to schedule visa appointments.
Therefore, to account for an already busy travel time as well as these novel considerations and any other potential changes, foreign nationals who have not yet booked appointments to renew or obtain new U.S. visa stamps should do so as quickly as possible.
Attending a visa appointment at a U.S. consular post outside the U.S.
Foreign nationals should be prepared to attend their visa appointments with the required documents. The U.S. consular post will require that applicants provide their original, current passport and may request any previous passports with U.S. visas in them; DS-160 barcode confirmation page for each family member; appointment confirmation notice; evidence of the applicants' eligibility for the visa category, such as a Form I-797 Approval Notice issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a certified Labor Condition Application (LCA) issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), etc.; and may request an employment verification letter or paystubs to demonstrate continued employment, if applicable. Passports must be valid for at least six months and contain at least one blank page.
For dependents, the Consular Officer will request a marriage certificate and children's long-form birth certificates (i.e., listing both parents' names). The Officer has the discretion to request any original documents.
Some U.S. consular posts may request additional documents, such as federal tax returns, W-2 forms, or a resume. Therefore, foreign nationals are strongly advised to check the website of the applicable U.S. consular post to confirm whether any additional documents are required.
Potential security delays at U.S. consular posts and ports-of-entry
Applicants for visa stamps may be subjected to additional security screening during the visa application process. The Trump Administration has directed DOS and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), among other U.S. agencies, to perform "enhanced vetting and screening" when adjudicating visa applications and other immigration benefits. As a result, more visa applicants may be subjected to increased security screening, known as "administrative processing," before their visa will be issued. It is not possible to know in advance if an applicant will be flagged for an additional security check.
Foreign nationals may also expect additional security screening and questioning at their U.S. port of entry. The CBP Officer may ask questions about the purpose of the visit to the U.S., employment, and travel history, among other things. They may also search a traveler's luggage and electronic devices.
Standard procedures and novel considerations for entry into the U.S.
It is standard practice for all individuals entering the U.S. from international travel to present certain documents to CBP. All travelers will be required to present their valid passport and foreign nationals should be prepared to present their valid U.S. visa stamp, if applicable, and relevant immigration documents such as a USCIS Approval Notice. Other relevant documents foreign nationals should carry depend on the purpose of the trip to the U.S. and may include an invitation letter for short-term business travel; endorsed Form I-129S for Blanket L visa holders; Form DS-2019 for J visa holders; or Form I-20 for F visa holders.
Under the current administration and on the basis of various news reports, travelers to the U.S. should be aware of some novel issues:
- F-1 students: News reports abound of international students who have had their legal status in the U.S. revoked seemingly based on civil or criminal violations or certain social media content or activities in the U.S. Foreign nationals in F-1 status in the U.S. who have questions or doubts about international travel are strongly encouraged to reach out to their university's designated school official (DSO), employer, or immigration counsel, before traveling internationally.
- Social media activities: Other news reports indicate that CBP may be increasing the practice of searching the electronic devices and social media accounts of travelers entering the U.S. Indeed, at least four European countries (Germany, the UK, Denmark, and Finland) and Canada have issued travel warnings advising caution for those traveling to the United States on the basis of potentially heightened inspection by CBP. CBP has the legal authority to conduct "border searches" of baggage, persons, vehicles, etc. entering the U.S., and this authority extends to searches of electronic devices crossing the border into the U.S. Electronic device searches may include CBP scrutinizing social media posts as well as texts/messages. This authority applies to all entrants to the U.S., including U.S. citizens and green card holders. While U.S. citizens cannot be denied entry to the U.S., foreign nationals can be denied entry for not providing devices or passwords to devices. Individuals planning to enter the U.S. should keep this in mind and may wish to consult with their immigration counsel prior to leaving the U.S.
- Potential travel ban(s): News sources, particularly the New York Times, previously reported on a potential travel ban for citizens from as many as 43 countries. While this travel ban or travel restrictions have not (yet) been enacted, foreign nationals, particularly nationals from countries on the list reported on in March 2025, may wish to carefully consider international travel and discuss with immigration counsel prior to leaving the U.S.
I-94 admission record: a crucial status document for foreign nationals in the U.S.
Foreign nationals admitted to the U.S. obtain an electronic Arrival/Departure record called a Form I-94 record, which becomes available on the CBP website soon after the individual enters the U.S. Foreign nationals should carefully review their admission stamp and their I-94 record after each entry to ensure the I-94 record reflects their and their family's correct status and expiration date. An error on the I-94 record can have a serious negative impact on the foreign national's status in the U.S. Errors can be corrected by contacting CBP or working with immigration counsel, but only if they are spotted.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
