Trump Administration says ‘‘International Students are welcome in the US’’

The United States has said international students who plan to study this fall in the country have the opportunity to do so. Weeks after President Donald Trump clamped down on different non-immigration visas, the US government proposed to bar overseas students at fully online colleges from staying in the country unless they transferred to another institution to maintain their student visa status. International pupils were earlier told to exit the US if all classes were online. New Delhi has taken up the issue with Trump Administration urging it to rescind the decision saying countless Indian students will be affected. The Department of Homeland Security in a statement on July 07 announced its plan for temporary modifications to F-1 and M-1 non -immigrant visa requirements for the fall 2020 semester. This will allow a mixture of both in-person and some online coursework to meet the requirements for non-immigrant student status. This temporary accommodation provides greater flexibility for non-immigrant students to continue their education in the United States, while also allowing for proper social distancing on open and operating campuses across America. International students will still have to obtain the appropriate visa and may still be subject to other visa processing or travel restrictions due to COVID-19. Students should check with the local US embassy or consulate for information specific to their country, it has been made clear in the statement. (Image courtesy: Forbes)