Foreign students who are currently studying in the US must leave in case universities switch to completely online courses, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (IEC) declared on July 6, 2020. The US administration will ban international students whose colleges and schools have shifted entirely to online courses.
What Does the New Guidance Include?
The ICE report says that the non-immigrant F-1 and M-1 students have no permission to reside in the US if classes are online. When universities provide solely online classes, the students either have to leave the country or move to another institution providing in-person courses.
The new regulation exempts international students who have in-person classes. Students have to take a few courses in person. It will also put universities under pressure to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is scaring academics as the Coronavirus crisis is getting worse. The statistics show a rise in infected young adults. A report by John Hopkins University indicates that “Younger Adults Are at Risk, Too.”
If universities do not provide in-person courses to international students or they fail to switch their educational centers, they could get deported.
A few universities, like Harvard, will be providing all courses online. The University of Southern California plans to invite new students to campus. Students will take online classes from the dormitory. It is true even for campus students. The US academies and colleges have frequently requested the Administration to change all courses online. The President has strictly rejected it. On Monday, he tweeted: “SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL.” However, he holds restricted authority over this issue.
SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 6, 2020
The President was not clear about this tweet. He did not make it clear what school he meant. He further announced that the Democrats want the schools closed “for political reasons, not for health reasons.”
According to the new announcement, the US Department of State will not grant visas to the students who have a fully online course in Fall 2020. The Customs and Border Protection will also prevent such students from entering US soil.
US Educational Institutions are Worried
Students are shocked over the new rule announced on Monday. They find themselves in an awkward predicament that is hard to solve. They have to either change their university or leave the country.
Universities have deep concerns over the fall semester. The predictions by experts show a peak of COVID-19 in the fall. In-person classes will be risky and unsafe. What if educational institutions start in-person classes and the situation gets worse? In this scenario, they have to switch to online classes again. The COVID-19 vaccine will be unlikely until the end of 2020.
Countries like Iran did not predict a surge of the COVID-19 for the summer of 2020. However, they are dealing with a rise in the number of infected cases. Iranian authorities have reported a new record one-day the COVID-19 death toll. 163 Iranians died in 24 hours, which is horrifying. The Iranian President has announced they are considering reimposing restrictions.
By July 2020, the US has the most COVID-19 cases and deaths in the world. Up to now, 2.9 million people have been infected, and 130,000 Americans lost their lives.
What Do Critics Say?
Bernie Sanders, one of Trump’s critics and candidate for 2020 US Presidency in response, tweeted:
The cruelty of this White House knows no bounds. Foreign students are being threatened with a choice: risk your life going to class in-person or get deported.
We must stand up to Trump’s bigotry. We must keep all our students safe. https://t.co/Q2MvmgJPqV
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) July 6, 2020
The US schools and colleges were expecting a reduction in the number of students. But missing all the international students could be a financial tragedy. Many of them rely on received tuition from international students. US colleges attracted 1.1 million foreign students in 2019.
The new regulation will definitely throw universities and students into confusion. They could not plan due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the new guidance, they are even more in trouble.
