International travel for research has become more complex in recent years — and preparation matters more than ever.
Heightened border scrutiny, evolving visa policies and growing concerns around research security are changing how researchers move across borders. For Rice faculty and staff, understanding today’s travel environment can help reduce delays, protect sensitive information and avoid complications abroad.
Increased Scrutiny is Becoming the Norm
International travelers connected to research institutions may face additional questioning at ports of entry — particularly when entering or exiting countries identified by the federal government as foreign countries of concern, including China, Iran and Russia.
Travelers carrying electronic devices or research-related materials may also face increased scrutiny, particularly if they are working on federally funded research or in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotech, space tech, robotics, or materials or computer science.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers may conduct “secondary inspections,” where travelers are asked additional questions about their travel, affiliations or research activities. Additional screening may become more likely depending on travel destinations, visa status or passport country, especially for travelers using non-U.S. passports.
Travelers are advised to remain honest, cooperative and respectful during any interactions with border officials. Being adversarial, evasive or dishonest can create additional delays or cause complications during reentry.
Research Data and Devices Require Extra Attention
Research data and electronic devices have become a major focus of international travel security.
Some countries have expanded authority to search laptops, cell phones and other electronic devices at the border. In certain cases, travelers may also be required to provide passwords or device access — even while transiting through another country.
That makes pre-travel planning especially important for faculty, principal investigators and staff traveling with research-related materials. Travelers are encouraged to carefully consider what data and devices they bring abroad and use secure alternatives when possible, such as accessing materials through Rice systems instead of storing sensitive data directly on a device.
PS&RS offers support tools designed to reduce risk, including loaner laptops, travel letters and guidance on using Rice’s virtual private network (VPN) securely while abroad.
Registering Travel Helps Protect Travelers
Rice requires registration for Rice-affiliated international travel, but PS&RS also strongly encourages registration for travelers using non-U.S. passports — even for personal travel.
Travel registration helps the university know where travelers are going and allows PS&RS to provide support if issues arise during travel or reentry into the United States.
PS&RS also hosts twice-weekly pre-travel briefings over Zoom to help faculty and staff understand country-specific risks, device considerations and current travel guidance
Travelers who cannot attend scheduled sessions can request a one-on-one consultation by emailing rsec@rice.edu.
Support is Available Before and During Travel
Beyond briefings, the PS&RS team provides several resources to support international travelers, including:
- Travel registration support
- Travel letters explaining the purpose of travel and institutional affiliation
- Guidance on secure VPN access
- Loaner or sanitized laptop support
- Temporary Export Licenses for devices and encrypted software (VPN)
- Pre-travel consultations tailored to destination-specific risks
- Emergency contact support while abroad
With international travel continuing to evolve, PS&RS encourages faculty and staff to plan ahead, register early and take advantage of available resources before leaving the country.