The U.S. extends distance learning for overseas students

As per a recent notice, the U.S. has decided to extend the exemptions, announced in March 2020, facilitating distance learning for non-immigrant students.

The Notice — Broadcast Message: ICE Continues March 2020 Guidance for the 2021-22 Academic Year — has been published, on April 26, 2021.

The Notice has been published by Student and Exchange Visitor Program [SEVP], a part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE]. With the official announcement, the guidance issued earlier – published March 9, 2020 – for F and M students for the 2021-22 academic year has now been extended. The guidance, originally issued in March 2020, enables US schools and students enrolled with them to engage in distance learning “in excess of regulatory limits due to the continuing public health concerns created by COVID-19". In keeping with the March 2020 guidance —

• Active F and M students will be allowed to temporarily count their online classes towards a full course of study.
• New or Initial F and M students [that were not previously enrolled in a program of study on March 9, 2020] “will not be able to enter the United States as a nonimmigrant student for the 2021-22 academic year if their course of study is 100 percent online”.

Source: U.S. Department of State Nevertheless, international students enrolled in classes with a certain amount of requirement for attending in-person learning in the U.S. will be eligible to apply for U.S. student visa and travel to the U.S., based on the restrictions on that country. As such, there are no changes made in the original guidance that will remain in effect during the 2021-22 academic year in the U.S.

As per SEVIS records, there were 1,251,569 active F-1 and M-1 students in calendar year 2020.

  If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to the USA, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company. If you found this blog engaging, you may also like… What documents do you need for an education loan to study abroad?