Emergencies: Resources & Protocols

Examples of an immigration emergency include:

• Loss of a passport or other important document while overseas.
• Visit by a government officer at home or on campus.
• Detainment at US port of entry (i.e. at the airport).
• Threat of deportation.

What to Do:

• If visited by a government officer, detained or threatened with deportation, students and scholars should not sign anything. Instead, they should politely ask the officer if they can call Emory ISSS and/or the student/scholar's home country consulate.
• Contact ISSS
  • If during normal office hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.), call ISSS at 404.727.3300.
  • If outside of regular office hours, call the Emory Police Department at 404.727.6111 and their dispatcher will connect the student/scholar with an ISSS staff member.

Students/scholars should contact the police if experiencing any of the following emergencies:

• Car accident
• Criminal activity
• Missing person
• Suicidal thoughts
• Homicidal thoughts
• Natural disaster (tornado, flood, etc.)
• Sexual assault and misconduct
• Violence
• Other incidents

What to Do:

If on campus, contact Emory Police Department at 404.727.6111. If off campus, call 911.

We recommend downloading the Emory Safe app for additional helpful emergency resources.

Emory offers a comprehensive range of support services and resources that are available to every member of the university community.

ISSS is here to help you, but you may also want to take advantage of these resources on campus for other issues such as: culture shock, stress, conflicts with classmates or professors, financial problems, scams:

F-1/J-1 students, J-1 scholars, and their F-2 or J-2 dependents should not attempt to enter the US as a tourist. US immigration law prohibits taking classes while in a tourist status (B or Visa Waiver [i.e. ESTA]). Doing so will have immediate and long-term negative consequences.  Also, changing immigration status within the US normally takes 8-12 months, and during the application pending period, enrolling in courses is not permitted. 

If time permits, students and scholars may request a new I-20/DS-2019 to be sent to them electronically by completing the "Travel Information Update" e-form in ISSS Link. After receiving the I-20/DS-2019 electronically, students/scholars/dependents should download, print, sign, and date it in pen, and present the printed document to the Customs and Border Protection officer upon entry into the US.

Airlines may prohibit students/scholars/dependents lacking a valid travel signature from boarding US-bound flights. Alternatively, if a traveler does not have a valid travel signature, they may experience problems with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) upon arriving in the US. Therefore, ISSS recommends that travelers change their flight plans to make sure they have a valid travel signature when traveling to the US.

If a student or scholar is unable to change their flight, ISSS recommends that they log into ISSS Link and print a screenshot of their ISSS Link homepage which contains their SEVIS ID number, SEVIS status, program level, program dates, and the ISSS contact information. Travelers can present this information to the immigration officer. This screenshot is not a replacement for the I-20/DS-2019 containing a valid travel signature but may help the officer more easily locate a student or scholar's record in their system. See below for more information on entering the US without one's immigration document.

If an airline allows a student/scholar/dependent to board a plane without their immigration document and/or a valid travel signature, there are three possible outcomes at the US airport upon arrival:

• The immigration officer might rely on the traveler's electronic SEVIS record and admit them into the US for “D/S" (duration of status).
• The immigration officer might admit the traveler for 30 days under the I-515A temporary admission provision.
  • Since an I-515A is very time-sensitive, if a student or scholar is issued one, they must:
    • Contact their ISSS advisor immediately to notify the advisor.
    • Meet with their ISSS advisor within two business days to complete the necessary paperwork.
• The immigration officer might not let the traveler enter the US.

Yes. If time permits, students and scholars may request a new I-20/DS-2019 to be sent to them electronically by completing the "Travel Information Update" e-form in ISSS Link. After receiving the I-20/DS-2019 electronically, students/scholars/dependents should download, print, sign, and date it in pen, and present the printed document to the Customs and Border Protection officer upon entry into the US.

Should a student/scholar/dependent encounter any difficulties at the airport, they should calmly ask an immigration officer to call Emory ISSS at 404-727-3300 (during business hours) or Emory Police at 404-727-6111 (outside of business hours).  Emory Police are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will contact the ISSS staff member on-call for assistance.