This step can affect thousands of foreign students who come to the United States to attend university or participate in training programs, as well as non-academic or vocational studies.
National universities began to make the decision to switch to online courses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. At Harvard, for example, all course instructions will be sent online, including for students who live on campus. For international students, it opens the door for them to have to leave the US.
“There is so much uncertainty. This is very frustrating,” said Valeria Mendiola, 26, a graduate student at Kennedy Government School at Harvard. “If I have to go back to Mexico, I can go back, but many international students can’t.”
The agency recommends that students currently registered in the US consider other steps, such as transferring to school with direct instruction. There are exceptions for universities that use hybrid models, such as a mixture of online classes and classes.
Brad Farnsworth, vice president of the American Council on Education, said the announcement surprised him and many others.
“We think this will create more confusion and uncertainty,” said Farnsworth, whose organization represents around 1,800 colleges and universities. “What we expect is more appreciation for all the different nuances that the campus might explore.”
One concern with this new guideline, said Farnsworth, is what will happen if the public health situation deteriorates in the fall and universities that have offered classes directly feel that they have to change all programs online to stay safe.
Visa requirements for students are always strict and coming to the US to take online courses is prohibited.
“These are not some fly-by-night universities, this is not fraud, this is a legitimate university that usually has a personal curriculum but for coronaviruses,” said Theresa Cardinal Brown, director of immigration and cross-border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center.
“The bigger problem is that some of these countries have travel restrictions and they can’t go home, so what do they do?” he added. “It’s a puzzle for many students.”
Harvard University President Larry Bacow said in a statement late Monday that “we are very concerned that the guidelines issued today by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement apply a blunt approach, a measure for all complex problems in delivering international students, especially those in online programs. , some options outside leaving the country or transferring schools. “
Guidance, continued Bacow, “undermines the thoughtful approach taken on behalf of students by so many institutions, including Harvard, to plan for continuing academic programs while balancing the health and safety challenges of a global pandemic.”
“We will work closely with other colleges and universities across the country to map the path forward,” he said.
The Trump administration has made a series of changes to the US immigration system, citing the coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in restrictions on immigrant plots to come to the country.
Last month, the White House issued an immigration proclamation that dramatically restricted legal immigration to the US that sent hundreds of people and businesses into disputes to understand whether their future plans were foiled.
In the proclamation, the government argued that the “extraordinary circumstances” caused by coronavirus called for the suspension of work-based visas. But immigrant advocates, industry and experts say the government is taking advantage of a pandemic to make immigration changes and advance its agenda to cut legal immigration.
Monday’s announcement, like the changes that preceded it, could also result in many foreign students often paying high school fees to return to their home countries.
According to the Migration Policy Institute, a think tank based in Washington, DC, about 1.2 million students included in the affected visa are
registered and registered at more than 8,700 schools throughout the country by March 2018.
Farnsworth said he saw the announcement as part of a larger pattern of movement by the government that “has not yet set the right tone.”
“This will make me think more of the anxiety of international students, and for those who are still thinking about where they are going in the fall, I think this can encourage them towards attending a university in another country,” he said.
While students may have the choice of moving to a college or university that offers courses directly, it may be difficult to obtain amid ongoing concerns about coronavirus. Some schools have announced plans to bring students back but shorten the semester, and cancel almost all classes directly through the semester.
This story has been updated with quotes and additional information.
CNN’s Catherine Shoichet contributed to this report.
