As the inauguration of President Donald Trump nears, many international students are rethinking their holiday travel plans — and their post-graduation opportunities, the Los Angeles Times reported.
USC, where roughly a quarter of its student body is international, has already advised students to skip or limit any travel outside of the United States after the semester ends.
“A new presidential administration will take office on Jan. 20, 2025, and — as is common — may issue one or more executive orders impacting travel to the U.S. and visa processing,” read a letter from the USC Office of International Services, according to the Times.
“While there’s no certainty such orders will be issued, the safest way to avoid any challenges is to be physically present in the U.S. before the spring semester begins on January 13, 2025.”
Trump has already said he will impose a refugee and travel ban on “Gaza, Syria, Somalia, Yemen or Libya or anywhere else that threatens our security,” according to the Times.
He has also said he will give internationals who graduate from an American university a green card — and that the U.S. would seek to keep the “most skilled graduates” only.
“My group is nearly 100% international, and we have always been affected by visa issues,” Anna Krylov, a USC chemistry professor, told the Times. “For example, two graduate students who joined my group this year lost a full year of studies because it took them more than a year to get their student visa.
“In other instances, I had my students and postdocs stranded abroad, waiting for a visa renewal, for weeks and sometimes months. … Our classes start on Jan. 13, so I expect everyone to be back before that date.”