Dear Colleagues,

for those of you who hold immigrant visas and plan to travel internationally here is some information that may be useful for you.

You should travel with copies of your appointment letter and other relevant documentation from the University as evidence that you have full-time employment in the United States. The University will also provide a currently dated letter attesting to the same, you may contact Human Resources to request this letter.  Also, while it is not required for personal travel, it is advisable that you register your travel with the UMass Concour Travel system, this way the University is aware of your travel plans.

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has some useful advice for international travel that you can find here. There are many other reputable sources of information with suggestions on precautions that you can take when travelling, such as this article from the Washington Post (gift article) 

In light of the federal administration’s enhanced actions against immigrants, the AFT has established an emergency immigration hotline for AFT members at institutions of higher education.  This is designed for those who are facing situations such as having their visas revoked, or the imminent possibility of detention and deportation.

The Emergency Immigration Hotline number is 888-416-2110. Please be advised this resource is for urgent situations and for dues-paying members only; it is not intended for students or any non-members.  You should have this contact number in your mobile phone and also written somewhere accessible should your mobile be unavailable.

To assist students and the wider community,  AFT has assembled a collection of resources on the Defending Higher Education website as well as in AFT’s eLearning community.  Members of the Faculty Federation are encouraged to sign up for the eLearning community as this is the space where more sensitive materials and resources will be made available to AFT members in a password-protected space.

Non-members or students who need help can visit the Immigration Advocates Network website  for free or low-cost legal advice: https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/nonprofit/legaldirectory/.

In Solidarity!