Foreign students will not be allowed to remain in the United States of America if their institutions move classes fully online.
In a statement yesterday, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, said affected students would face “immigration consequences”, including deportation, if they failed to comply.
But it gave concerned students the option of “transferring to a school with in-person instruction” to retain their lawful status.
This, however applies to holders of F-1 and M-1 visas, which are issued to academic and vocational students, respectively.
ICE said: “Non-immigrant F-1 and M-1 students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States.
“The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the U.S.
“Active students currently in the United States enrolled in such programs must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status.”