Frequently Asked Questions

For international students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty and staff on UMB-sponsored visas, the Office of International Services (OIS) can answer many questions. To make an online appointment, click here. If you prefer to meet in person, email OIS.

Business visitor visas can be used for certain academic and business activities, such as clinical observations in UMMC, to give lectures and participate in meetings. The law does not authorize the conduct of research on business visitor visas.

The Office of International Services (OIS) recommends the following steps for UMB schools and departments inviting colleagues to visit on business visitor/tourist visas, the business visitor/tourist visa waiver program, or citizens of countries that are exempt from visa requirements (Canada and Bermuda):

• Avoid offering immigration or travel advice unless you have consulted with OIS.
• Refer questions about appropriate visa processing times or supporting documentation (e.g., invitation letters) to OIS.
• Contact OIS early in the planning process so we can advise on the best visa pathway for the nature and length of the visit.

Please visit the travel restriction questions to learn more about how they impact business visitor entry to the U.S.

You can find information on the Maryland Attorney General’s Office’s Know Your Rights webpage and the office’s Guidance for Colleges and Universities on Responding to Immigration Enforcement Requests. Additionally, the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law’s Chacón Center for Immigrant Justice has resources on their website.

While some areas of campus are open to the public, most of our buildings have limited access, even when the doors are unlocked during operating hours.

UMB buildings have card readers, security officers, and/or visitor management systems to ensure that only authorized people can enter these secure areas. Visitors, including outside law enforcement, must have an appointment or authorized purpose (e.g., delivering a package, a prearranged visit, and must sign in with a University security officer before entering a UMB building.

You can do your part to keep our community safe by scanning your OneCard when entering our buildings. Do not let others enter a secure building without scanning their OneCard. If you see this occur, alert a UMB security officer. Make sure that external doors are closed behind you; do not leave doors propped open.

UMB never discloses confidential information without legal authorization. Student records, employee personnel records, health information, and personally identifiable information are protected by state and federal laws.

If you receive a request for confidential information — including a Maryland Public Information Act request, subpoena, or other legal document — you must forward it to umbcounsel@umaryland.edu. The Office of University Counsel will evaluate and respond to the request or direct the requestor to the appropriate legal process.

The Maryland Attorney General’s Guidance to Colleges and Universities Regarding Immigration Enforcement explains that individuals who are the focus of federal immigration officials’ enforcement activities have the right to decline to speak with officers, provide personal information, or consent to a search until they have had an opportunity to speak with legal counsel.

We have received no requests for information from immigration authorities and are not aware of any planned immigration enforcement actions at UMB. However, in the extremely unlikely event that immigration enforcement officers come to campus, any requests they might make for information or building access would be governed by the same rules that apply to every other visitor. UMB security officers are trained on building access protocols, and employees responsible for confidential records and data have protocols to follow when requests for records or data are received.

If you observe outside law enforcement officers seeking to enter non-public parts of our buildings, please contact UMB Police and Public Safety at 410-706-6882 (available 24/7). Police and Public Safety and the University Counsel will coordinate as necessary to ensure our community’s safety and the protection of confidential data.

Colleges and universities may not actively conceal individuals who are sought by immigration officials for law enforcement purposes or interfere with arrests, but they are not required to assist federal agents in apprehending individuals. Immigration officers have general authority to arrest and detain individuals who are subject to removal upon issuance of an administrative warrant. However, the administrative warrant is not a judicial warrant and does not permit the immigration officer to enter a campus area that is not open to the general public.

ICE officials may enter and engage in enforcement activities in areas of campus that are open to the general public, but they may not enter areas of campus that are not open to the general public without a judicial warrant or without being given consent to enter the area. In addition to authority to arrest or detain individuals who are subject to removal, ICE also has administrative subpoena power and can issue a subpoena requiring production of records in connection with criminal or civil investigations.

You need to understand entry and exit requirements for the country/countries you’re traveling to, requirements for conducting your intended activities, as well as reentry requirements to the U.S.

If you are traveling to a country other than your country of citizenship, you are strongly advised to check the embassy website of the country where you’re traveling, or traveling through, to learn more about entry, exit and appropriate visas for your intended activities.

In terms of reentry to the U.S., the OIS website contains information for international students and scholars on UMB-sponsored visas. Please locate information for your specific immigration status in the current students or scholars and employees sections of the website. OIS staff are also available to answer questions you may have; just reach out.

If you are in another immigration status, you may wish to consult with a qualified immigration attorney to answer any questions you have. You can e-mail OIS if you need a referral to immigration attorneys.

If you are from one of the countries impacted by the recent travel restrictions, please see the travel restrictions questions below.  

If not, then you should know that visa appointment wait times and conditions vary widely at U.S. embassies and consulates based on local conditions. You may encounter processing delays when applying for a new visa to return to the U.S. Due to an increase in the number of visa applicants requiring in-person interviews, the introduction of enhanced vetting and screening, as well as an ongoing federal hiring freeze, visa processing may take longer than in the past. 

If you are on a UMB-sponsored visa, please consult the OIS website for information about required documents for a visa interview and to schedule an appointment with an OIS staff member. If you are in another immigration status, you may wish to consult with a qualified immigration attorney to answer any questions you have. You can e-mail OIS if you need a referral to immigration attorneys. 

At U.S. ports of entry, such as international airports and border crossings, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has broad authority to search travelers’ personal possessions, including electronic devices, without a warrant. Specifically, CBP may perform the following: 

• Question any person seeking to enter the U.S. to determine their eligibility for admission. 

• Search the property of any person seeking to enter the U.S. 

• Other countries have similar authority that may even permit government officials to conduct warrantless searches far beyond the regular customs enforcement area. 

 Remove sensitive, proprietary or confidential information belonging to the University that is stored on your device before traveling. Remember to follow research protocols and store confidential research data on a UMB-approved cloud storage platform such as OneDrive or SharePoint and only access it via Microsoft’s Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD). If you have questions about what constitutes sensitive, proprietary or confidential information, contact CITS or Research Security well in advance of your proposed travel dates. Additionally, travelers should understand what items are prohibited or restricted from entering the U.S. and any countries they may be visiting or traveling through. Please visit UMB’s Office of Research and Development’s Export Controls and Export Compliance pages for additional considerations and tips related to restrictions on transferring controlled items or technologies. 

On June 4, 2025, President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation suspending visa issuance and entry for 12 countries and restricting certain temporary visas for an additional 7 countries.

The travel restriction affects individuals outside the U.S. seeking any visa or entry to the U.S. from the 12 countries listed on the left side of the chart, and individuals seeking a tourist (B), student (F) or exchange visitor (J) visa from the seven countries on the right side of the chart.

The travel restriction does not directly affect a person physically present in the U.S. on a temporary visa, green card holder or naturalized U.S. citizen from one of the named countries. Nevertheless, they may be indirectly impacted by their inability to travel internationally and/or have their family and friends visit them in the U.S.

Any temporary visa holder from one of the countries on the left side of the chart that is currently in the U.S. should not travel internationally, as they will not be able to reenter the U.S. Likewise, any F-1 or J-1 student or scholar from the seven countries on the right should not travel internationally. Green card holders and naturalized U.S. citizens from the named countries can travel internationally and reenter the U.S.

Furthermore, any new students, scholars, or colleagues outside the U.S. that were preparing to come to UMB from one of these countries will be unable to come to the U.S. until the restriction is lifted or revised.

No, unless you have received a stop work order, you should not stop working on any sponsored awards. Please continue preparing and submitting proposals according to the published agency deadlines.

If you receive a stop work order, suspension notice, or equivalent directive from an authorized official of a Sponsor — either a United States Government (USG) Sponsor or Pass-Through-Entity (PTE) — send it immediately by email to Jill Frankenfield, MSL, MS, associate vice president, Sponsored Programs Administration, and Laura Scarantino, MSF, CPA, assistant vice president, Office of Sponsored Projects Accounting and Compliance, copying your department chair and school dean. They will, with guidance from the Office of University Counsel, review the contents, determine its applicability, and provide guidance on how to proceed.

Please note that some stop work orders, suspension notices, or equivalent communications are currently subject to federal injunction orders and may not be legally applicable at this time.  

If you are provided guidance that your project is subject to a stop work order, suspension notice, or equivalent directive that has not been enjoined by an injunction, no work should be charged against the grant until official notification lifting the order has been received from an authorized official or until you receive further clarification from Jill Frankenfield or Laura Scarantino.

The cost of any work performed during the effective period of a stop work order or a suspension order that is not subject to the injunction referenced above may not be paid by the Sponsor.

During a stop work or suspension, recipients are expected to maintain operational readiness to resume work if and when the order is lifted. Deliverables in the contract/agreement may or may not be negotiable upon resumption of the award. It is therefore important to approach contingency planning, bridge funding, project de-scoping, and budget realignment carefully to ensure the ability to resume implementation immediately if approved.

Note: Only USG Contract Officers, Agreement Officers, and PTE Authorized Organizational Representatives have binding contract authority. Communications and instructions from a Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative, or other USG or PTE technical or program office representative, are not binding. 

If UMB Is the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Record:

If you receive a stop work order, suspension notice, or equivalent directive from an authorized official of a Sponsor, immediately notify the IRB in addition to forwarding the stop work or suspension notice to Jill Frankenfield and Laura Scarantino, as described above. 

You must notify the IRB by utilizing the Reportable New Information pathway in CICERO; select #9 “Suspension or termination of the research by the sponsor or the investigator."

Include the following information: 

• attach the written stop work order, suspension, or equivalent directive 
• the number and status of participants 
• the overall status of the research project
• the potential impact on the rights, welfare, and safety of participants resulting from the stop work, suspension, or equivalent directive
• the potential impact on the collection of study data and overall study integrity

All stop work orders, suspensions, or equivalent directives will be reviewed by a fully convened panel of the IRB for review.

If an External IRB Serves as the IRB of Record:

If you receive a stop work order, suspension notice, or equivalent directive from an authorized official of a Sponsor, immediately notify the IRB in addition to forwarding the stop work or suspension notice to Jill Frankenfield and Laura Scarantino, as described above.

You must notify the IRB by utilizing the Reportable New Information pathway in CICERO; select #14 “Determination...Suspension or termination at UMB (External IRB studies ONLY)”

Include the following information: 

• attach the written stop work order, suspension, or equivalent directive
• the number and status of participants 
• the overall status of the research project
• potential impact on the rights, welfare, and safety of participants resulting from the stop work, suspension, or equivalent directive
• potential impact on the collection of study data and overall study integrity

All stop work orders, suspensions, or equivalent directives will be reviewed by a fully convened panel of the IRB for review.

If you receive a stop work order, suspension notice, or equivalent directive from an authorized official of a Sponsor, immediately notify the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) in addition to Jill Frankenfield and Laura Scarantino, as described above, utilizing the following mechanisms:

For paper protocols, submit via email at iacuc@umaryland.edu and include the following information: 

• IACUC number
• number of animals on study and being maintained in animal facilities
• overall status of the research project
• potential impact on study data and overall study integrity
• potential impact on the animals

For CICERO protocols, submit via the system utilizing the following pathway:

• Open your protocol
• Click the button “Contact IACUC Staff” found in the left navigation menu
• Enter text as described above
• Attach the stop work order, suspension notice, or equivalent directive
• Click “OK” to submit

If you have questions or concerns regarding the care and disposition of your animals, contact the Office of Animal Welfare Assurance at iacuc@umaryland.edu.

All stop work orders, suspensions, or equivalent directives will be reviewed by a fully convened panel of the IACUC for review.

Discuss the matter with your chair or dean. You may wish to review II-1.00(C) - UMB Policy on Extending the Deadline for Tenure Review for Parenthood or Extraordinary Circumstances.