— updated September 22, 2025 —
At 4.16pm on September 20, 2025, the White House issued a statement to clarify the impact and scope of the Presidential Proclamation. Separately, USCIS and CBP issued memoranda to address the impact of the Proclamation. On September 21, 2025, the Department of State issued its own guidance regarding the issuance of visa stamps.
While the statement and memos leave some questions unanswered, they confirm several important points, including regarding international travel:
- The Proclamation only applies to future H-1B petitions.
- The Proclamation does not affect current H-1B visa holders, the validity of their H-1B visa stamps, or the ability to obtain a new visa stamp on the basis of a petition that was filed before the effective date of the Proclamation.
- Individuals who already hold an H-1B visa stamp may continue to use it to enter the U.S. after traveling abroad.
Based on this updated White House and USCIS guidance, individuals who are currently outside the U.S. do not need to alter their travel plans in order to return before the Proclamation’s effective date.
However, further clarification is needed regarding a number of issues, including:
- The issuance of H-1B visa stickers at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, based on petitions filed after the Proclamation took effect.
- The applicability of the restrictions on new cap-exempt petitions, i.e. H-1B petitions filed by institutions of higher education.
Further guidance from the relevant agencies may be forthcoming but is not yet available. We will continue to monitor any developments in this area and provide updates when warranted.
As always, if you are traveling internationally and are encountering difficulties at the port of entry/border upon your return, please contact the University’s Division of Public Safety and Security at 734-763-1131
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Updated 9/22/2025 to include reference to the CBP memo and the Department of State guidance.