Special note: Our name is changing! OISSS is now officially International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS). Please look for our new name to be reflected in our messages and systems in the coming weeks.
Updated 12/9/2025
Dear International Community Members:
As the winter holiday season nears, International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) is writing to provide reminders and guidance about winter break travel, as well as information about campus resources available during the holiday season. In addition to reviewing the information below, we encourage you to contact ISSS with your specific questions.
ISSS Information
Please consider keeping this email (and any updates) for future reference. We also encourage you to continue to monitor your Brown email account during any holiday breaks, in case we need to inform the community of any urgent travel-related developments. Also, check our website at https://oisss.brown.edu regularly for any immigration-related news and announcements.
Preparing for Travel
For anyone planning to travel internationally, careful preparation before each trip is essential. Please refer to the following guides that we have prepared to help you:
Documents required for re-entry: Our Travel Resource guides for International Students and International Scholars list the documents required for successful re-entry into the U.S., as well as additional information and resources about the U.S. arrival process. Take time now to review the re-entry requirements. In particular, confirm that you have a valid passport, entry visa, and (for F-1 and J-1 visa holders) a Form I-20 or DS-2019 with an updated travel signature.
Travel signatures: For F-1 / J-1 students and scholars, refer to our guide on Getting a Travel Signature. IMPORTANT NOTE: You do not need to have a valid travel signature to leave the U.S.; you only need it by the time you return. ISSS is able to process updated I-20 or DS-2019 forms with travel validation and send these to you electronically.
Lost / stolen documents: While we hope that winter travel will be problem-free, if your travel documents are lost or stolen while outside the U.S., refer to our Lost or Stolen Travel Documents guide. Before traveling, save photocopies of your key documents (passport, I-20 / DS-2019, visa) in a secure and accessible location as those copies may help to expedite replacement of any missing or stolen documents.
Emergency contact list: Create your own Emergency Contact card (and keeping both an electronic and hard copy) that lists your emergency contacts, as well as University contacts that include the Administrator on Call for students (AOC) and Brown’s Department of Public Safety (DPS). Their numbers are also listed on the back of your Brown ID card. These contacts will coordinate outreach to ISSS or other staff in urgent situations.
Share your itinerary: Let family and friends know about your travel plans and travel itinerary, and check in with them regularly so that they know you are safe.
Travel Safety
Many students and scholars may have concerns about safe travel and the kinds of risks that may impact their ability to travel. Review our Assessing Travel Safety guide, which may help you to make informed travel decisions. While this guide does not provide legal advice, it reflects different considerations that require further discussion with your ISSS advisor, if they apply to you. In particular:
A limited set of countries are currently subject to a travel ban restricting entry into the U.S. Students and scholars from those countries, as well as other countries that have been identified as “countries of particular concern,” should talk to their ISSS advisor before making travel arrangements
Students and scholars whose visas are expired should not travel over winter break if they do not already have confirmed visa appointments. Due to enhanced visa scrutiny and limited consular staffing during the holiday season, there may not be enough time for a visa appointment to be scheduled and a visa to be issued before the start of the spring semester. Even those with visa appointments should be aware that visa approval and issuance timelines may be extended. Read our Renewing Your Visa guide and talk to your ISSS advisor.
Students or scholars with interactions with U.S. law enforcement may face heightened travel risk. Read our Travel guide and contact ISSS for more information.
Students or scholars who have concerns about their online social media activity may also wish to talk to ISSS.
H-1B employees who are in the process of changing to, or extending, their H-1B status should not travel outside the U.S. without first speaking to ISSS.
Staying in the U.S.? Local and Domestic Travel Requirements
Students and scholars who choose to remain in the U.S. should still review requirements and recommendations for U.S. Local and Domestic Travel, including travel to Puerto Rico. In particular, students and scholars must carry their Form I-94 at all times while in the U.S., as USCIS regulations require non-US citizens to be able to present proof of legal status any time they are in the U.S. In addition to Form I-94, carry official proof of identification (such as your passport) and Form I-20 or Form DS-2019, especially when traveling outside of your immediate residential vicinity.
While local and domestic travel does not typically involve immigration inspection, you may be asked for these documents in certain situations and locations, such as in random checks by Border Patrol or law enforcement in certain states and high-activity areas.
Going on Brown-related Travel?
If you are leaving campus on Brown-related travel (e.g., research travel, winter courses outside the U.S., conference attendance, etc.), you are required to register your travel with Brown’s Office of Global Travel Operations, Risk & Resilience. For more information, visit Brown Travel and visit TravelSafe to register your travel. The registration requirement applies to anyone traveling on Brown-related business, regardless of immigration status (including students participating in the TravelPilot program). By registering your travel, you will also have access to different resources as described on the Brown Travel website.
Campus Resources During Winter Break
Look for Forthcoming Announcements about Campus Events: International students staying in the Providence area over winter break should look for announcements in the near future from the Global Brown Center and other units about winter campus events and resources.
Winter Break Student Housing. International students who reside in campus housing can apply for housing over the winter break. During the break, residence halls close at 12pm noon on Sunday, December 21, 2025, and reopen on Saturday, January 17, 2026. Students who need winter break housing should go to the Winter Break Housing page to learn how to apply. The deadline is expected to be in early December.
ISSS Winter Break Operations. ISSS’s office will close for winter break from Tuesday, December 23, 2025 and reopen on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. However, you may still send questions to oisss@brown.edu. Non-emergency questions will only receive responses after we return on January 6.
F-1 and J-1 students and scholars: If you have forgotten to obtain a travel signature before leaving the U.S., read the instructions on our Getting a Travel Signature page. Students can submit a travel signature request online through the OISSS Gateway Portal. ISSS is able to process and send I-20s and DS-2019s with updated travel signatures electronically for downloading and printing.
Police, Fire, or Medical Emergency Only. If you are remaining in Providence during the winter break, you can contact the Department of Public Safety’s emergency response number at (401) 863-4111, or dial 9-1-1.
With best wishes for a safe and restful break,
International Student and Scholar Services
https://oisss.brown.edu