New International Students Face In-Person Requirement
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said Friday that newly enrolled international students won't be allowed to enter the U.S. if their fall courses are taught entirely online.
Newly enrolled students, however, could obtain valid visas if they plan to enroll in programs that offer at least one in-person course during the fall term.
The new rules will not affect international students who have already been enrolled at U.S. colleges or universities, and they will be allowed to continue their studies in whatever instructional model their schools deem appropriate during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"These individuals do not need a new visa to continue their programs of study. Students engaged in 100 percent online coursework will be able to maintain their nonimmigrant status and not be subject to initiation of removal proceedings based on their online studies," federal immigration officials said in Friday's guidelines.
When universities shut down in March because of the pandemic, ICE issued rules that allowed currently enrolled international students to continue their studies online.
The Trump administration on July 6 introduced --- and then rescinded --- a policy that would have forced all international students to leave the U.S. or transfer if their schools moved classes entirely online during the fall.
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