New ICE policy restricts incoming international students from entering US
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Friday that incoming international students on an F or M visa who are taking an online-only course load in the fall will not be allowed to enter the U.S. (Daily Bruin file photo)
By Saumya Gupta
July 24, 2020 10:05 p.m.
Incoming international students taking only online courses will not be able to enter the United States.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Friday that students who enroll in a U.S. university or college later than March 9 will not be allowed to enter the U.S. on an F or M visa this fall.
School officials also cannot issue I-20 forms, which allow international students to get a student visa, apply for benefits and enter the U.S., according to the announcement. However, incoming international students currently in the U.S will not have to leave the country, according to the ICE website.
International students at schools with hybrid or fully in-person systems can also stay in the U.S. even if the school switches to an online-only system in the fall.
ICE is reverting to its March 9 exemptions to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which did not allow incoming international students to enter the country but allowed existing students to enter.
ICE previously issued restrictions to the SEVP on July 6, which did not allow international students to stay in the U.S. if they took a fully online course load in the fall.
The restrictions led several colleges and universities to file lawsuits against the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, including the University of California system, which filed suit July 10. The restrictions were rescinded July 14.
