U.S. Border Entry FAQs

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.

Citizens from those countries at UW-Madison who are thinking about travel outside the U.S. should:

•  Remain aware of how this action is applied to travelers by watching reputable media and checking here for updated information often.
• Consider whether travel outside the U.S. could prevent your return to UW–Madison prior to the fall semester. Make a personal decision on your travel plans accordingly, carefully consider the potential outcomes if these restrictions interrupt your program of study or preclude the fulfilment of other obligations if unable to return to UW-Madison as planned.

Other important resources for your awareness are UW-Madison’s International Services’ Travel information webpage as well as their Resources on the Immigration Issues webpage.

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers generally look at a traveler’s visa, the passport’s personal information page, available history, and other supporting documentation (letters of support, proof of work via pay stubs, academic transcript, institution’s acceptance letter, and supporting immigration forms such as the I-20/DS-2019 if applicable, etc). A combination of factors may explain why it seems travelers are receiving more scrutiny now than in the recent past, but it really is just a matter of increased emphasis within federal immigration agencies on following regulations and internal operating guidelines.
• Answer questions in a forthright and respectful manner, they likely will ask:
  • Your citizenship and immigration status
  • Your personal background and the purpose and nature of your trip
  • About anything you are bringing back to the United States that you did not have when you left
• U.S. citizens and permanent residents should not be denied entry to the U.S. barring discovery of unlawful activity.
  • If permanent residents remain outside the U.S. more than 6 months at a time without a re-entry permit, they may be viewed as having abandoned their permanent resident status.  Permanent residents should ensure they complete the USCIS Form I-131 (reentry permit) to avoid jeopardizing their status and thus also their ability to reenter the U.S.

• For international students or international employees, on your entry or return to the United States, as you approach primary inspection with a CBP officer, remember:
  • Have your required immigration documents ready for the customs desk prior to entry. Your passport should be valid for at least six months into the future. Depending on your visa status you should also prepare to provide:

• • • F-1:  I-20 with travel signature and valid F-1 visa stamp (*F-1 Canadian citizens do not need visa stamps)
    • J-1:  DS-2019 with travel signature and valid J-1 visa stamp with UW–Madison noted as the program sponsor (*J-1s who are Canadian citizens do not need visa stamps)
    • Additionally, if on OPT/STEM OPT:  two months of employment pay stubs are recommended to show continuity in employment.
    • H-1B:  Valid H-1B visa stamp & H-1B approval notice (*H-1B Canadian citizens do not need visa stamps). If you are in another sponsored status, contact IFSS for specific guidance.
• UW-Madison’s International Student Services (ISS) travel page offers guidance to help international students prepare documentation for travel and entry/reentry to the U.S.
• If someone comes to a U.S. port of entry with even what may seem a minor error in their documents, they are more likely to face increased scrutiny than in the past – CBP officers may feel less discretion to overlook minor inconsistencies and direct a traveler to move to secondary interview. Documentation should reflect accurate and updated information to help avoid being directed to a secondary interview/inspection.

• A CBP agent typically has only about 90 seconds to assess a traveler’s basic information and make a decision as to whether the person needs further review under a secondary inspection. With less leeway currently (real or felt), officers are more likely to send someone to secondary inspection than they may have in the past. Going to secondary inspection does not necessarily mean there is suspicion or a negative disposition toward the traveler’s circumstances or documentation — it could have been only a minor clerical issue from the past, prompting a flag that requires an officer(s) with more time in secondary inspection to assess.
• A port of entry may see millions of visitors each month. Only a relative few are international students, any minor errors in documentation or any seeming inconsistency is more likely to draw the attention of CBP officers who may not be as accustomed to seeing international students as they are other travelers.

• Secondary interview/inspection is not a jail-like holding area or criminal detention facility, it is simply an area where a traveler will await a more detailed interview to clarify their documentation and purpose for entry. There typically are snacks available, bathrooms for travelers’ use, etc.
• Travelers have no right to legal representation in secondary inspection. Cell phones are not allowed in secondary inspection; a person may ask a CBP officer to make a phone call, and sometimes officers will allow the call but it is not required of them to do so.
• Generally, secondary inspection interviews travelers under a “first in, first out” process or queue; however, minor children are given priority, so a single adult traveler may have to wait if there are also families with children that require secondary interview.

• Nothing has changed regarding access to electronic devices at a port of entry. CBP has always been able to access electronic devices, including cell phones, they just may be more likely to do so now for the reasons noted in replies above in these FAQs – a greater current emphasis on thorough entry review.
• CBP officers need approval from a supervisor to look at a device. Device inspections only occur in secondary interview, and CBP officers must have a valid reason to do so. We recommend putting the phone on airplane mode or shutting it off completely when coming into the port of entry.
• Travelers should review content on all electronic devices and their their social media presence prior to travel. You may wish to moderate content and social media posts – avoid and delete the types of posts, memes, or other content or commentary that might draw unnecessary attention when entering the U.S. or any other country.
• CBP officers may request access to your social media accounts or copy data from your devices, including sensitive personal or work-related information. Travelers, including U.S. citizens, have limited constitutional protections (e.g., privacy and due process) during inspections at border entry. If you surrender passwords to your device or media accounts during the interview, remember to change them as soon as you are able to do so.

• If an electronic device is confiscated for further review, be sure to ask politely for a receipt and about how/when you can retrieve the device.
• It is important to remember that refusal to cooperate with CBP or any other port authorities may result in delays, seizure of devices, and, for non-U.S. citizens, denial of entry at personal cost.

• Consequences are discretionary. A non-U.S. citizen is likely to be directed to depart and put on a flight back to their point of origin if they refuse to comply with any part of an interview process. Despite the concern and public discussion right now, it is relatively uncommon for CBP to request access to an electronic device or cell phone.
• U.S. citizens typically have more rights to deny an inspection request, but the device may be detained. If it is, be sure to ask politely for a receipt and ascertain exactly how you can request the phone’s return when it is made available.

• If someone decides they want to turn around because of increased scrutiny at a port of entry, they need a good reason to do so. If they decide to turn around, this becomes a matter of record and could cause problems when the traveler attempts to enter the U.S. in the future.
• The next flight to a traveler’s country of origin may take time to book and that is how people often end up in a holding location. A 1-2 day wait can require the traveler to be sent to the nearest holding location. The return flight to the country of origin will be at the traveler’s own expense.  

• Transgender or non-binary travelers are very unlikely to be asked to proceed to secondary interview or turned away at a port of entry unless there is a legitimate documentation issue, or another discrepancy as is true for any other traveler. CBP states there are no discriminatory practices at border points of entry due to identity.
• As with other travelers, CBP officers want to ensure documents are valid and information matches consistently (name, gender, etc.). The “Gender X” characterization on passports is still recognized even though it is no longer issued.