US Immigration and
Customs Enforcement has given a verdict that international students must attend
in-person classes in fall 2020 or face deportation. If they refuse to meet this
demand, they might experience “immigration
consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal
proceedings.”

According to the
statements, “There will still be
accommodations to provide flexibility to schools and nonimmigrant students, but
as many institutions across the country reopen, there is a concordant need to
resume the carefully balanced protections implemented by federal regulations.”

However, if you’re a
student who acquires a fully online program, you won’t fear visa rejection. As
of now, around 8 percent of the higher education programs have decided to
conduct online-only semesters for Fall. Some schools like Harvard have even
reduced the number of students taken back to the campus.

In addition to this,
students coming from schools that offer hybrid models will also be given
permission to stay in the US.

If you’re still in your
home country while enrolled in an American but fully online course, then remote
education is permitted to students who maintain their “active status.”

In this case,
approximately 23 percent of colleges plan on adopting a hybrid model for
teaching like the University of Pennsylvania, Yale, Stanford, etc. Schools all over
the US have been asked to submit their final model by August 1^st.

The hybrid model is receiving
appreciation for its great transition during this pandemic. However, any
student who switches to an online-only program during the fall semester will be
asked to leave or transfer.

After the pandemic,
schools across the country were forced shut. Due to this reason, the
instructions were changed and the platform became online. Temporary exemptions
were made for example SEVP granted international students to take multiple
remote courses without losing their visas.

President Trump has
received grave criticism for taking this move and rightly so!