On the first day after the small holiday on Independence Day, I received a "blockbuster" from the USCIS.
According to the latest CNN report, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Announced on Monday that if the universitySwitch to online only, Then studying for a degree in the United StatesInternational students (F-1, M-1 visa)Will have to leave the U.S.Otherwise, you will face the possibility of deportation.
This move may affect thousandsTens of thousands of foreign students came to the United States to go to college or participate in training courses.
Due to the epidemic this year, universities across the United States have begun to makeThe decision to transition to online teaching. For example, at Harvard, including for live-in studentsAll courses are taught online. (Currently, the latest news from Harvard will allow up to 40% of students to return to campus, including freshmen and some students who "cannot make academic progress at home.")
On Monday, July 7, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau ICE said in a statement:
"If the school applied by international students is fully taught online in the fall semester, the US State Department will not issue visas to these students, nor will the US Customs and Border Protection allow these students to enter the United States."
After the announcement, various high-level corrections in the United States are actively responding, and are discussing whether to allow students to take classes on campus when the new crown is still serious.According to data from the Department of Homeland Security, there are currently 110 million international students holding U.S. student visas, includingChina accounts for about one-third, This new regulation will affectAbout 40 Chinese students.
For Chinese students, mainlyThe following three types of F/M visa populations are affected :
Chinese students studying in the US
International students who cannot enter China
Prospective international students going to the US in the fall
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Regulations
1. If the school is changed to purely online, non-immigrant F/M visa students cannot stay in the United States to complete the next online course.
The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students in courses online during the fall semester, nor will the U.S. Customs and Border Protection allow these students to enter the United States.Students currently taking fully online courses in the United States must leave the United States or take other measures,E.gTransferGo to offline class or mixed class(Onsite+online teaching)Of schoolsStay legal. Otherwise, they may face immigration consequences,Including but not limited to starting the repatriation process.
2. If the school runs normally onsite, the offline courses that non-immigrant F-1 students participate in are subject to federal regulations. F visa students can take up to one course or three credits of online courses online.
3,Non-immigrant F-1 students studying in a mixed mode (that is, online courses and offline courses) can choose more than one online course/or three credits of online courses.These schools must prove to SEVP through the I-20 form "Non-immigrant Student Status Qualification Certificate".Prove that the course is not completely online, The student this semesterNot all courses are online courses, And students also take online courses as little as possible.The above exemption does not apply to F-1 students in English training courses or M-1 students who have obtained a professional degree. They are not allowed to take any online courses.
At the beginning of the autumn semester, if the school started off-line courses and later changed to online courses, or students modified the selected courses, thenDedicated to pre-school and extra curricularNeed to update student information on SEVIS within 10 days.
reference:https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/sevp-modifies-temporary-exemptions-nonimmigrant-students-taking-online-courses-during
Picture source USNEWS
The United States has always been strict with international student visa requirements. The USCISFrom the beginning, students are prohibited from holdingF-1 or M-1 visa to come to the United States to participateOnline-only training programs, Also requires students to have a certain number of hours each semester while in school,Guaranteed to be a full-time student.
However, due to the epidemic, many schools switched to online courses."These transferred online universities are not scams or illegal educational institutions. These are all legal and compliant formal schools, but because of the epidemic."
Theresa Cardinal Brown, director of bipartisan policy immigration and cross-border policy, said. She added: "The bigger problem is that many countries still have travel restrictions,Students can't go home smoothly, So what should they do? This is a problem for many students. "
Previously,Some American universities have decided to use hybrid teaching methodsFor example, the University of Miami, Oxford, which has a large number of Chinese international students, will open early in the fall and conduct both online and face-to-face teaching. As of press time, the Chinese Student Association of San Francisco Art University has also released news thatThe school is discussing the situation, Will update you in time.
Please alsoDon't panic too muchFrom the current policy point of view, there is still much room for relaxation. I believe the school will actively adjust the teaching plan to meet the requirements of the USCIS to study in the United States.
ref:
https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2020-07-06/foreign-students-attending-schools-that-operate-online-only-this-fall-will-be-barred-from-the-us
https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/06/politics/international-college-students-ice-online-learning/index.html
https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/sevp-modifies-temporary-exemptions-nonimmigrant-students-taking-online-courses-during
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