United States has announced that it will not admit any new foreign students seeking online-only study.
The policy change was announced in a statement by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In a memo to college officials, ICE stated that new students who were not already enrolled as of March 9 will also “likely not be able to obtain” visas if they intend to take courses entirely online.
The announcement primarily affects new students hoping to enroll at universities that will provide classes entirely online as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
International students who are already in the US or are returning from abroad and already have visas will still be allowed to take classes entirely online in the face of a worsening outbreak.
This comes a week after US revoked its decision to deport students whose classes move online due to COVID-19.
ICE reversed the policy after being taken to court by top universities including Harvard and MIT, teachers unions and at least 18 states.
The institutions stated that the policy would affect more than one million international students in the US for the 2018-19 academic year.
Read Also: US Rescinds Order Denying Foreign Students Visas
The measure was seen as a move by US President Donald Trump to put pressure on educational institutions that are adopting a cautious approach to reopening amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump is eager for schools at all levels to reopen with in-person classes as a sign of a return to normality.
He is pushing for this despite the virus being out of control in some states, with the US death toll a world-high of more than 144,000.
