The International Student and Scholar Services office at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States has issued a fresh reminder directing all overseas learners and researchers to keep their official immigration records close at every moment.
This renewed alert arrived in an electronic message sent on February 18 and obtained by The Daily Pennsylvanian on Friday, which spelled out exactly which documents to carry and how to behave if stopped by any law enforcement personnel.
“As an international student or scholar at Penn, you are lawfully present in the United States,” the email read.
For movement inside Philadelphia, ISSS recommended travelling with photocopies of an unexpired passport biographical page, the visa page, and current forms such as the I-20 and I-94.
Students on Optional Practical Training were told to keep digital copies of their EAD Card and OPT I-20, together with any USCIS approval notice where required, while permanent residents should always have a copy of their green card.
The office stressed that anyone planning trips outside Philadelphia must carry the actual original documents rather than photocopies.
It further advised international community members to “remain calm, respectful and responsive” whenever approached by law enforcement officers.
The message instructed students to memorise and save the Division of Public Safety contact number, assuring them that support remains “available at any time, on or off campus — including while traveling within the United States or abroad.”
ISSS also warned against falling for immigration-related scams, especially those that “demand payment” or request “personal information.”
“If a call feels suspicious, hang up and contact DPS,” the email read.
This latest circular forms part of a string of similar warnings released by the office as United States immigration rules keep changing. In June 2025, after a travel ban was placed on citizens from twelve countries, Penn ISSS urged affected students to return to America immediately.
In December 2025, the office advised those hit by wider entry restrictions to avoid all non-essential foreign travel and speak with advisors before leaving the country.
In January, hundreds of demonstrators had gathered in Center City Philadelphia to protest the deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to Minneapolis, after which city council members tabled legislation seeking to curb the powers of federal immigration agents inside Philadelphia.
“For non-emergency questions, contact your ISSS advisor,” the email read. “For urgent concerns, call DPS first.”
A spokesperson for ISSS did not respond immediately to a request for further comment.
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