International students in the United States must leave the country if their school only offers virtual classes after the summer break. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced this on Monday.
These are foreign students who are allowed to stay and study in the US by means of a student visa, a so-called F-1 or M-1 visa. It is not clear exactly how many students are involved. In 2019, 388,839 F-1 visas and 9,518 M-1 visas were issued.
International students are offered an alternative. If they can continue their studies at another school in the US where (partly) physical education is offered, they can stay. Students who cannot be transferred to another school or who leave the country voluntarily run the risk of an expulsion procedure.
In 39 of the 50 US states, the number of infections with the COVID-19 virus has increased at a record rate in recent weeks. In total, nearly 3 million infections have been registered in the country. Despite this, US President Donald Trump said Monday Twitter that he wants American schools to open their doors again after the summer.
Several U.S. universities and colleges have started to announce their plans for after the summer. The prestigious Harvard University, among others, has announced that lectures will only be offered online in the coming academic year.
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