Themembers of the Congress and 75 US Senators have signed a letter and it has been sent to the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf for a reversal of guidance that restricts newly enrolled international students in the full-time online courses from visiting the US for the upcoming Fall semester.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement had confirmed in July that the newly enrolled international students enrolled in the full- time online courses will not be able to obtain F1 or M1 visa. The announcement was made after several days of the announcement by Harvard University, which stated that the first-year international students would not be able to attend classes in the campus due to restriction of visas.
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In the letter, it has been stated that around 250,000 international students shall be visiting the United States in the upcoming month as new or returning students and till date, there is no specific guideline released by the agency for students from abroad.
As per the letter, the students and universities must have clarity so that they can plan their schedule and prepare for studies according to the upcoming Fall semester.
The letter requests the department to revise the guidance and allow international students to get enrolled in the full time course irrespective of the medium of instruction and if they are new or returning students.
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The letter further states that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) should ensure reporting flexibility to accommodate the rapidly shifting enrollment status of students. Also, at this point of time when there is so much instability and uncertainty, theTrump administration must cease its interference with universities and colleges in their efforts to plan for the education, health and safety of students.
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