On Friday, 20th January 2017 President Trump signed an executive order (EO) that:
- temporarily suspended the US Refugee Admissions Programme;
- placed an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees;
- suspended visas for nationals from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen (excluding diplomatic visas and green card holders), effectively banning admission to the USA.
The majority of travellers between the US and the UK will not be affected. Education practitioners interested in knowing how this EO affects their staff and students should review the official statement by the FCO, the updated FCO travel advice for the USA and the official statement shared by the US Embassy in the UK. For information on how the American HE sector has responded please review the statements issued by a number of US international education associations and US higher education media outlets.
Further information:
- UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office Statement
- FCO Travel Advice USA
- US Embassy & Consulate in the United Kingdom Statement
- AIEA: Association of International Education Administrators
- NAFSA: International Educators Association Statement
- NACAC: National College of Admissions Counsellors Statement
- IACAC: International Association of College Admissions Statement
- International Higher Ed Coverage
- Chronicle of Higher Education Coverage
- American Council on Education (ACE) letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly regarding Trump's EO
- Running List of University/College and Higher Education Organization/Association Responses to President Trump's Executive Order Entitled "Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Entry into the United States by Foreign Nationals" Issued January 27, 2017