By: Maddy Dean
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to “protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats.” The order will make it more difficult to obtain travel visas and will add time to the visa application process.
The change was made to keep the country safe from what President Trump considers “high-risk” countries. The order will make it more difficult for citizens of these countries to obtain visas and has led to delays in the visa process due to the additional advanced screening.
This executive order could potentially lead to a travel ban for these high-risk countries. In one part of Section 2, the order states that the information collected from additional screening could lead to a decision that the information is “so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries”.
This suspension would not only keep residents of these countries out of the United States, but it could also prevent U.S. citizens from entering those restricted countries.
The University of Arkansas’s study abroad program allows students to study in over 50 countries. Program staff members are monitoring President Trump’s policies closely to ensure the safety of all students abroad.
In the case of a travel ban, the office plans on leaving decisions on how to handle students up to the individual programs. “If a ban went to certain places, or continents, or countries we would work with our programs, and kind of work together for the students who are there and coming back,” said Tori Allio, a study abroad peer mentor.
The study abroad program is already adapting due to a law passed in Italy that has made it more difficult to obtain Italian student visas. Under the new law, students now have to go in person to the Consulate in Houston, Texas to get their visa. “You used to be able to mail visas in, but now they aren’t allowing that, not even for groups,” Allio said.
This change has shortened the amount of time students can stay abroad. “The Rome Center is now 89 days because that’s how long you can stay without the visa,” Allio said. This is down from the previous 120-day trip.
Meanwhile, on campus, the University of Arkansas houses students from over 100 countries. This order may lead to issues for these students in the future, especially for those from countries that President Trump considers high-risk.
President Trump included current residents originally from other countries in the executive order as well, stating in Section 2 that anyone who was admitted to the country on or after Jan. 20, 2021, will have their residency reviewed.
Allio said that the study abroad program already faced a huge shift in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For the Rome Center, they all just had to leave, which was really unfortunate,” Allio said.
She believes that if a travel ban were to be implemented while programs were in session, the process may look similar to 2020 when students were put on planes home immediately.
Though no bans have been put in place, Allio said that both the study abroad office and the Office of International Students and Scholars will work hard to make sure students on the University of Arkansas campus, as well as all affiliate programs, are kept safe.