Office of Global Engagement
International Student and Scholar Services

After Hours Immigration Emergencies

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Police, Fire, or Medical Emergencies

If you are experiencing a police, fire, or medical emergency, or have concerns about your personal safety, contact the Brown Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management at (401) 863-4111, or dial 911 to reach local emergency response services.

Department of Public Safety Website

After-Hours Contact for Urgent Immigration Situations or Emergencies

If you are an international student or scholar experiencing an extremely urgent immigration-related situation or emergency outside of normal business hours (evenings, weekends, holidays), take the following steps:

  • Call the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management (DPSEM) at (401) 863-3322, and ask them to contact a member of the ISSS staff. Please provide your full name, student ID (if applicable), contact number, and a brief description of the situation. An ISSS staff member will attempt to contact you as soon as possible once DPSEM has relayed your situation to them.
  • If possible, send a follow-up email to isss@brown.edu with detailed information about your situation. Include your name, contact information, Brown student ID number (if applicable) and any other relevant details. Please also indicated if you were able to contact DPSEM or any other University staff or faculty member about your situation.
  • Do not attempt after-hours contact information for answers to routine questions regarding ISSS processing times, travel signatures, CPT or OPT requests, last-minute job offers, appointment availability, hypothetical travel questions, etc., as these can be addressed during regular business hours.

After-hours emergencies include:

  • Problems boarding return flight to the U.S.
  • Problems at port of entry or land border crossing
  • Notice of expired or revoked visa within 24 to 48 hours before planned return to U.S.
  • Arrest / detention by law enforcement or U.S. immigration enforcement (ICE, CBP, etc.)
  • Lost or stolen documents (passport, visa, or other entry documents) less than 24 hours before planned return to U.S.
  • Contact with unidentified persons making demanding payment due to immigration violations, indicating possible scam activity

Did you forget to request a travel signature? Don't panic!

Missing travel signatures are not considered an after-hours emergency. If you are boarding your flight and discover you did not secure a travel signature before your trip, click below to read about how to request an I-515A from the U.S. the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. Students and scholars are responsible for obtaining travel signatures in a timely manner, during ISSS business hours, and should allow 5 business days for processing.

I-515A Information

Plan ahead to avoid last-minute urgent situations. While certain emergencies are unavoidable, in many cases planning ahead can reduce the chances of urgent, last-minute situations. The following steps are especially recommended: