US To Withdraw Foreign Students Visas If Universities Completely Move To Online Classes

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US To Withdraw Foreign Students' Visas If Universities Completely Move To Online Classes

If they do not comply with the rules, they could face deportation, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency said on July 6.

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Unless foreign students switch to a course with in-person tuition, they will not be allowed to stay in the United States this autumn if their universities have completely moved to online classes. If they do not comply with the rules, they could face deportation, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency said on July 6.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, many universities are moving classes online. However, it is not yet clear how many students will be affected.

"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 US Immigration and Custom Enforcement said in a statement.

"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," ICE said.

"If not, they may face immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings," the statement read.

ICE said that the State Department "will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will US Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States."

Every year, a large number of foreign students travel to the US to study. As many pay full tuition, they are a significant source of revenue for universities.

Harvard has announced that when students return for the new academic year, all course instruction will be delivered online. This includes students who live at the university.

Foreign students were permitted by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which is run by ICE, to continue with their spring and summer 2020 courses online while they remain in the country.

However, the announcement on Monday, July 6, said that foreign students who remain in the US while enrolled in online courses, but fail to switch to in-person courses could face "immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings", reported BBC News.

This rule applies to holders of F-1 and M-1 visas, which are for academic and vocational students. According to the agency's data, the State Department issued 388,839 F visas and 9,518 M visas in the fiscal year 2019.

International students contributed $45 billion (£36 billion) to the country's economy in the year 2018, claimed the US Commerce Department.

Also Read: Trump Administration Suspends H1B Visa, Focuses On Protecting American Jobs

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