To the University of Utah Community,

The University of Utah strongly supports the international members of our community and values their many contributions to this campus. The continued ability to attract and support outstanding students and the highest quality faculty and staff from around the world is critical to excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement.

This past week, as most of you are well aware, President Trump signed an executive order that suspends entry into the United States for various categories of travelers. The current order affects immigrant and non-immigrant status holders from seven countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

On Friday, Jan. 27, in anticipation of the president signing the executive order, a message of support and resources was sent to all international scholars and students at the U. The Office of General Counsel also reached out to employees affected by the travel ban.

We are obviously concerned about the impact this order may have on the ability of foreign nationals, and those with dual citizenship to obtain visas and enter the U.S. The university is advising immigrant and non-immigrant students, faculty, and staff from these seven countries who are currently inside the U.S. to postpone international travel for the time being. If you are currently outside of the U.S. and wish to re-enter, please contact International Student and Scholar Services as soon as possible at 801-581-8876. Additionally, because other countries may be added to the current list of seven countries, we also recommend that non-U.S. citizens who may be affected by the executive order refrain from non-urgent travel.

Please know that the university is working to monitor and interpret the latest developments to understand how we can best provide guidance and support to our international community in the coming days and weeks. If you have visa issues or questions concerning travel outside of the United States, please contact International Student and Scholar Services or visit the website for updated information.

Resources available to the U community:

International Student and Scholar Services: internationalcenter.utah.edu
University Counseling Center: counselingcenter.utah.edu
Women’s Resource Center: womenscenter.utah.edu
Center for Ethnic Student Affairs: diversity.utah.edu/centers/cesa
American Immigration Lawyers Association Immigration Lawyer Referral Service: ailalawyer.com
(provides referrals to immigration attorneys across the U.S.)
College of Law: law.utah.edu/pro-bono-initiative/free-legal-clinics

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[bs_col class=”col-sm-6″]Ruth V. Watkins
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

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[bs_col class=”col-sm-6″]Michael L. Hardman
Chief Global Officer[/bs_col]
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