Resources on Immigration Issues

A visa revocation cancels a prior issued visa and means that the individual can no longer use that visa stamp when seeking entry to the U.S. Students may be (but are not always) notified by the U.S. Department of State or the embassy where they applied for the visa, at the email address they used to apply for the visa.

A SEVIS termination means the student’s F-1 or J-1 record in SEVIS is terminated and they are no longer in valid student status. A Designated School Official (DSO) or Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) would notify a student if their SEVIS record has been terminated.

A visa revocation and SEVIS termination may occur in tandem, or only one may occur.

The U.S. Department of State should inform the visa holder in writing to the email address the visa holder used when they applied for the visa. ISS is not directly notified when a visa is revoked.

A visa revocation means that your visa in no longer valid to enter the U.S., even if the expiration date has not passed. A visa revocation does not mean that you must immediately depart the U.S. However, if your SEVIS status has been terminated and you receive notice that your visa is revoked, you may not hold lawful nonimmigrant student status in the U.S. anymore. If your visa has been revoked and your SEVIS record terminated, you should consult an immigration attorney.

There are different SEVIS status updates that can occur at different times in a student’s SEVIS record life cycle. You can review the different SEVIS status updates on the Common Immigration Terms webpage.

If your SEVIS status is terminated, ISS will send you an email notification through Terra Dotta including the date and reason for termination, as well as resources that may be available to you to act on the terminated record.

Please refer to this PDF document outlining what you can expect at a U.S. port of entry. The ISSD webpage also offers U.S. Border Entry FAQs with more detailed discussion of the circumstances you may encounter on entry.

Current wait times vary depending on the country where you apply for the visa. Use this link from the U.S. Department of State website to check the Global Visa Wait Times for the country or post at which you apply.

The U.S. Department of State has informed ISS that letters of support issued by ISS do not impact a student’s visa application. You should present the admission and immigration documents issued to you by UW-Madison to support your visa application and interview.

Yes. On 4 June 2025, the White House issued a proclamation fully restricting entry to the U.S. for travelers from twelve countries, and partially restricting entry for travelers from another seven countries. The restrictions will be enforced as of Monday, 9 June 2025.

What you can do:

• Remain aware of these circumstances by watching reputable media and U.S. government sources for updates.
• Consider whether any travel outside of the U.S. during spring break could prevent your return to UW–Madison for the remainder of the spring semester.

This is developing information. ISS will email F-1 and J-1 passport holders of any affected countries, and IFSS will email H-1B and J-1 visa holders of any affected countries, should travel restrictions go into effect, and update the Resources on Immigration Issues webpage.

On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14161 directing the U.S. Secretary of State and others to submit a report “identifying countries throughout the world for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries” by March 21, 2025.

While there have been media reports speculating which countries might be subject to a future travel ban, the U.S. government has not issued any active travel bans as of March 18, 2025.

International Faculty and Staff Services (IFSS) and International Student Services (ISS) have very specific roles, expertise, and responsibilities at the university. The LPR category is not part of either office’s portfolio. To our knowledge, no UW–Madison office advises individuals on their permanent resident status.

If a UW-Madison student or employee has questions about their permanent resident status and traveling outside the U.S., they are encouraged to contact a private immigration attorney. The State Bar of Wisconsin has an attorney referral service, available here.  The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) also has a search tool available.

The following is a list of resources that may be available to assist and support individuals with questions and circumstances about permanent resident status in the context of international travel. Additionally, ISS maintains a webpage that may provide useful context and other relevant links: Resources on Immigration Issues – International Student Services – UW–Madison.

IFSS and ISS do not endorse or otherwise adopt the viewpoint of any non-UW–Madison resource listed below. The list is not exhaustive and is meant for informational purposes only.

USCIS After the green card is granted

USCIS Rights and Responsibilities

American Immigration Lawyer Association (AILA)

• Know your rights when re-entering the U.S.
• Protecting Your Permanent Residency

Immigration Matters: Your U.S. Compliance Roadmap | Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy LLP

Any student or employee considering travel is encouraged to remain aware of current circumstances by watching reputable media and U.S. government sources for updates. You might also consider whether any travel outside of the U.S. could prevent the timely return to campus and decide on travel plans accordingly.

23 April 2025 

U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has established a new Form G-325R Alien Registration Form to comply with Executive Order 14159: Protecting the American People Against Invasion. View a summary of the Alien Registration Requirements here.

Most international students, scholars, faculty, and staff have already met this requirement by having a valid U.S. visa at their time of entry to the U.S. and were issued an I-94 Arrival Record. You can learn more about your I-94 record and how to print your most recent I-94 to prove your “alien registration.” Carry a printed copy of your I-94 with you when you travel outside of Madison. 

Who Must File Form G-325R?

• The parent or legal guardian of any dependent of an international student, scholar, faculty, and staff under the age of 14 who was not issued an I-94 Arrival Record and has remained in the U.S. for more than 30 days.  

• • Form G-325R must be filed before the 30 days expires. 

• Any dependent of an international student, scholar, faculty, and staff member who turns age 14 after they entered the U.S.  

• • Form G-325R must be filed within 30 days of the dependent’s 14th birthday. 

• Any alien who did not enter on a U.S. visa, does not have an I-94 Arrival Record, and has remained in the U.S. for more than 30 days.  

• • Form G-325R must be filed before the 30 days expires. 

Read the full details under the “Who Must File” and “How to Determine if You are Already Registered” tabs on the USCIS Alien Registration webpage.

How Do I File Form G-325R?

Form G-325R is only available online. It cannot be submitted by mail. You must create a USCIS online account before filing Form G-325R. 

Step-by-step instructions are found under the “How to Register” tab on the USCIS Alien Registration webpage.

International Student Services, International Faculty and Staff Services and the International Division put together a PDF of resources that you may find useful. The PDF may be updated (most recently on April 14, 2025) so please refer to the date at the bottom of the document to confirm you are looking at the most up-to-date document.

International Faculty and Staff Services put together a PDF of resources that you may find useful. The PDF may be updated (most recently on April 29, 2025) so please refer to the date at the bottom of the document to confirm you are looking at the most up-to-date document.

You can find information on the Protest and Activism: Know Your Rights page.