Saturday 18 / May / 2024
Washington DC: The United States government has decided to scrap a decision issued previously that would see them not grant visas to students pursuing academics through only online study.
The US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement had, on July 6, issued a policy that students who had already enrolled, or were to enrol, in US universities, would not have their visas renewed or issued, as the case may be.
Many universities, which have thousands of international students enrolled in courses, had offered them online programmes for the upcoming semester, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Academic institutions in the US had expressed concern at the government’s decision to deny visas to these students, and have since welcomed the move to reverse it.
In a letter addressed to his students and faculty, President Rafael L. Reif of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said: “The federal government just rescinded the July 6th policy from Immigration and Customs Enforcement that would have prohibited many international students from studying in the United States if – as was likely at many institutions, in response to the pandemic – their classes would be fully online. For our international students, and thus for all of us, this comes as an enormous relief.”
MIT had joined forces with Harvard University to issue a lawsuit against the US government following its decision to deny visas to students pursuing coursework online.
“This case also made clear that real lives are at stake in these “bureaucratic” matters, with the potential for real harm. We need to approach policy making, especially now, with more humanity, more decency – not less,” he added. “When we joined this suit with Harvard, we knew our case was strong, and we are pleased with this outcome. But we also stand ready to protect our students from any further arbitrary policies.”
Emory University President Claire E. Sterk and President-elect Gregory L. Fenves issued the following statement: “We are encouraged that the US Department of Homeland Security rescinded the July 6 preliminary guidance that would have required international students to take at least one in-person course to remain in the United States.
“This reversal will allow our students to continue their studies at Emory and remain important members of our community,” added the university. “Emory will continue to advocate for our international students and support efforts that promote the global exchange of ideas and research. International students are welcome at Emory and are part of what makes our university special.”
Other universities also joined the outpouring of support towards reversing the decision. Storer H. Rowley, the Assistant Vice President of Media Relations at Northwestern University, said, “That was welcome news for tens of thousands of international students and the colleges and universities in the United States where they are enrolled. It came after a tsunami of protests and legal challenges from universities and states’ attorneys general, who argued that the new rule issued abruptly last week was unjustified, onerous and arbitrary.”
Chancellor Rebecca Blank of the University of Wisconsin-Madison released the following statement in response to the federal government rescinding a policy change on international student visas:
“Universities need flexibility to educate students in the most effective manner possible during the pandemic and international students deserve stability and support as they pursue their degrees here,” she said. “The swift and strong response – from students, faculty and staff; from university, business and community leaders; and from state attorneys general – demonstrates what an important place international students have on our campuses and in our country. We will continue to monitor this situation and advocate for wise policies.”
