Dear Members of the Brown Community,
On Monday, June 22, 2020, President Trump signed a new “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak.” Below is a summary of the immediate consequences of the proclamation. We are monitoring this situation closely and will post updates to the Brown community on the Global Brown website as more information becomes available.
We are deeply concerned by this action, which undermines our ability to benefit fully as a community and a nation from international engagement. Brown remains committed to supporting international students, scholars and faculty, and values the significant contributions that global education has on our educational mission, and to the leadership and competitiveness of the United States. We will continue to advocate for policies that are aligned with these values, and we are working closely with peer institutions, higher education associations, and other partners to understand the exact impact of this proclamation.
We understand that many members of the community may be concerned and have questions about this proclamation. The Office of International Students and Scholar Services (OISSS), in collaboration with the Global Brown Center for International Students, will be holding a virtual community gathering in the coming weeks. More information about this event will be available soon.
In the interim, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Global Brown Team (globalbrown@brown.edu) if you need additional support during these challenging times.
Please find a summary of key elements of the proclamation below:
The proclamation, which is effective starting on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 at 12:01AM ET is expected to remain in effect until December 31, 2020. The proclamation will be subject to review by the White House within 30 days of June 24, 2020 and every 60 days thereafter for potential modifications as deemed necessary, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Labor.
As of now, the recent proclamation does NOT apply to individuals currently in the U.S.
- The proclamation also does NOT apply to F-1, J-1 or H-1B visa holders and their dependents in F-2, J-2 or H-4 status, who may temporarily be outside the U.S., but have unexpired immigration documents and a valid visa stamp in their passport.
- The proclamation does NOT apply to J-1 visa holders who wish to enter the U.S. in the categories of researcher, professor, short-term scholar or specialist.
- The proclamation does NOT apply to F-1 students, F-1 students on post-completion optional practical training (OPT), and F-1 students on STEM OPT extension.
- The proclamation does NOT apply to H-1B visa holders currently in the U.S. and/or visa holders who are in the process of changing their immigration status to H-1B within the U.S.
- The proclamation does NOT apply to persons who have a valid or recently approved H-1B visa stamp in their passport.
- The proclamation does NOT apply to anyone seeking to change their status from within the U.S. from one nonimmigrant visa category to another (e.g. F-1 to H-1B).
- The proclamation also does NOT apply to Lawful Permanent Residents (green card holders).
- However, the proclamation DOES apply to scholars outside the U.S. with a pending or approved H-1B petition, who are not able to secure an H-1B visa stamp by June 24th. This is particularly concerning, since many U.S. Consulates are still closed and/or do not provide nonimmigrant visa services. If you think that this situation might apply to you, please contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS) by email (oisss@brown.edu).
At this point we advise our nonimmigrant community to limit any international travel. We will continue to monitor the situation and will keep you informed about any changes as they occur.
Sincerely,
Global Brown Team