The U.S. State Department on July 7 said that foreign students are welcome on campus in the United States this fall semester provided that colleges do not hold all classes online.
It follows the release of guidelines by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday that said international students will be required to leave the country or transfer to another college if their schools offer classes entirely online come fall 2020.
In a press release published Tuesday, a spokesperson for the department said Homeland Security plans to make “temporary modifications” to F-1 and M-1 nonimmigrant visa requirements for the fall 2020 semester. The visas are for academic and vocational students.
“This will allow a mixture of both in-person and some online coursework to meet the requirements for nonimmigrant student status,” the release states.
This “temporary accommodation,” the spokesperson said, will provide greater flexibility for nonimmigrant students to continue their education in the United States, while allowing for “proper social distancing” on open and operating campuses across the country.
“The United States has long been the destination of choice for international students, and we are pleased that many international students who had planned to study this fall in the United States may still have the opportunity to do so.”
The department noted that foreign students will still have to obtain the appropriate visa and may be subject to other visa processing or travel restrictions due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic.
“Students should check with the local U.S. embassy or consulate for information specific to their country,” the spokesperson added.
News that foreign students could be forced to leave the United States if classes are held entirely online caused many U.S. colleges to scramble Tuesday to modify plans for the fall semester.
The announcement blindsided academic institutions grappling with the logistical challenges of safely resuming classes, particularly after the federal government had granted exceptions to the rules limiting online learning for foreign students when colleges and universities in March rushed to shutter campuses and move to online classes as the pandemic prompted lockdowns.
There are more than a million foreign students at U.S. colleges and universities, and many schools depend on revenue from foreign students, who often pay full tuition. The State Department issued 388,839 F visas and 9,518 M visas in fiscal 2019, according to the agencys data.
According to NAFSA: Association of International Educators, during the 2018-2019 academic year, foreign students in the United States contributed nearly $41 billion to the national economy.
ICE said institutions moving entirely to online learning must submit plans to the agency by July 15. Schools that will use only in-person learning, shortened or delayed classes, or a blend of in-person and online learning must submit plans by Aug. 1.
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