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July 8, 2020

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Online classes may affect foreign students in US

Source: Agencies | 00:05 UTC+8 July 8, 2020 | Print Edition

INTERNATIONAL students will be forced to leave the US or transfer to another college if their schools offer classes entirely online this fall, under new guidelines issued on Monday by federal immigration authorities.

The guidelines, issued by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, provide additional pressure for universities to reopen even amid growing concerns about the recent spread of COVID-19 among young adults.

Under the updated rules, international students must take at least some of their classes in person. New visas will not be issued to students at schools or programs that are entirely online.

It creates an urgent dilemma for thousands of international students who became stranded in the US last spring after the coronavirus forced their schools to move online. Those attending schools that are staying online must “depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction,” according to the guidance.

The ICE guidance applies to holders of F-1 and M-1 visas, which are for academic and vocational students. The State Department issued 388,839 F visas and 9,518 M visas in fiscal 2019, according to the agency’s data.

The guidance does not affect students taking classes in person. It also does not affect F-1 students taking a partial online course-load, as long as their university certifies the student’s instruction is not completely digital. M-1 vocational program students and F-1 English language training program students will not be allowed to take any classes online.

There were more than 1 million international students in the United States for the 2018-19 academic year, according to the Institute of International Education.

That accounted for 5.5 percent of the total US higher education population, the IIE said, and international students contributed US$44.7 billion to the US economy in 2018.

China ranked first among countries of origin for international students in the United States with nearly 370,000 during the 2018-2019 academic year, followed by India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Canada.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said yesterday that China was closely following the policy changes and would do everything to protect the rights and interests of Chinese students.

Dozens of colleges have said they plan to offer at least some classes in person this fall, but some say it’s too risky. The University of Southern California last week reversed course on a plan to bring students to campus, saying classes will be hosted primarily or exclusively online. Harvard on Monday said it will invite first-year students to live on campus, but classes will stay online.

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