Trump admin repeals US' international students visa policy after facing severe backlash

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday repealed the controversial directive that would have stripped visas from international students if they chose to take online classes amid COVID-19 pandemic, an American news website reported. This decision comes after the rule announced on July 6 sparked a flurry of litigation beginning with the suit brought by Harvard and MIT, followed by California's public colleges and later a coalition of 17 states.

'They will return to the status quo'

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to bar international students from staying in the country if they attend American universities that offer only online courses during the COVID-19 health crisis.

"I have been informed by the parties that they have come to a resolution. They will return to the status quo," Judge Allison Burroughs, the federal district judge in Boston, said in a surprise statement at the top of the hearing on the lawsuit.

The announcement comes as a big relief to international students, including those from India. In the 2018-2019 academic year, there were over 10 lakh international students in the US. According to a recent report of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), 1,94,556 Indian students were enrolled in various academic institutions in the US in January.

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'Must depart the country'

Judge Burroughs said the policy would apply nationwide. "Both the policy directive and the frequently asked questions would not be enforced anyplace," she said, referring to the agreement between the US government and MIT and Harvard.

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In its July 6 notice, the ICE had said all student visa holders, whose university curricula were only offered online, "must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status". "If not, they may face immigration consequences, including but not limited to the initiation of removal proceedings," it had said.

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India has also conveyed its concern regarding the F1 visa to the US during the virtual foreign office consultations between Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale last week. The US side had said that it will keep the best interests of the students in mind.

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(With agency inputs)