The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released a new guidance last week about travel restrictions for international students. This guidance comes after the decision to rescind the initial guidance, which required international students to leave the country if their fall coursework is fully online.
The new guidance clarifies that international travel restrictions will only apply to newly enrolled students whose postsecondary programs will operate solely online for the fall. If an international student was enrolled on March 9, 2020, but subsequently left the country, that student likely remains eligible for a visa since the March 2020 guidance permitted a full online course of study from inside the United States or from abroad. This includes students who have remained in the U.S. in active status and are starting a new program of study that is 100 percent online. However, new students who intend to pursue a full course of study completely online will likely not be able to obtain an F-1 or M-1 visa to study in the United States.
As institutions continue to work with new international students, this guidance is top of mind. Considering the new guidance, many institutions are considering options and working across campuses to continue to work with their international population.
- Newly enrolled international students who can access courses online and continue to make normal progress in their study can enroll online remotely for the fall semester.
- Students who don’t choose to complete coursework remotely must have some type of in-person component in the fall or consider deferring to the spring semester.
- Students can enroll in the hybrid model and arrive for the fall if they are able to obtain their visa.
As mentioned above, students continuing their education who were enrolled prior to March 9 likely remain eligible for their visa, regardless of the mode of instruction.
Sources:
Study International: ICE rules new international students denied US study visas this year
ICE: Clarifying Questions for Fall 2020 Based On March 9 Spring Guidance Broadcast
ICE: Frequently Asked Questions for SEVP Stakeholders about COVID-19