International students urged to return to United States before President-elect Trump takes office

More than a million students from other countries are studying at colleges and universities here in the United States.

Many of those international students are on winter break back in their home countries right now, and immigration attorneys are advising they come back quickly, before the second Trump administration begins.

Both the University of Houston and Rice University start back up before Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.

But officials from both universities are urging international students to be back when school starts, in part, to avoid any travel or immigration problems.

Across the country, university administrators are reaching out to international students due to questions about what could happen after Inauguration Day, given that President Trump has promised to stop immigration programs to our country.

As of this year, the University of Houston has more than 5,000 international students, making up just over 10% of the student body.

At Rice University, 14% students are international, representing 113 countries, and the vast majority of those international students are in graduate programs.

"We do anticipate the new administration will enact travel bans, especially with countries that there might be tariffs involved like Canada, Mexico, China, some Middle Eastern countries, particularly Iran, maybe northern Africa," immigration attorney Mana Yegani explained. "You need to make sure everything is bulletproof. All your papers are in check. You've registered for your classes completely. Your VISAs are valid. It's not a few days before expiration."

Yegani and other immigration attorneys are recommending international students travel with as much documentation as possible, and consider canceling future trips out of the country while they are studying here.

"If you have a VISA, it does not mean you are safe. If you remember back in 2017 when there was a travel ban, a lot of people who had visas were returned,or some of the airlines would not give boarding passes to come to the United States," Yegani explained.

According to the U.S. State Department, students from China and India make up more than half of all international students in the United States.

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