U.S. to kick out foreign students if colleges move online

Foreign students currently enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities will have to transfer to schools with some in-person instruction, take reduced course loads, or apply for medical leave to maintain their immigration status. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced its new guidelines on Monday, noting it will not issue new visas to students at schools that have moved all instruction online because of the coronavirus pandemic.

What prompted this measure? The announcement is the federal government’s latest effort to curtail legal immigration amid the COVID-19 outbreak as the Trump administration pushes for schools to resume meeting in person. Harvard University and the University of Southern California have already announced plans to hold classes exclusively online this fall.

Dig deeper: Read Seth Johnson’s report in Schooled on how new visa rules already restrict faculty and students from overseas.