Update on Federal Guidance for the Fall 2020 Semester
F (college studies) and M (technical studies) students and schools certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor ProgramSEVP should abide by guidance issued in March 2020: https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/bcm2003-01.pdf.
The guidance enables schools and students to engage in distance learning in excess of regulatory limits due to the public health emergency generated by COVID-19.
The March 2020 guidance applies to nonimmigrant students who were actively enrolled at a U.S. school on March 9 and are otherwise complying with the terms of their nonimmigrant status, whether from inside the U.S. or abroad. SEVP will not issue a temporary final rule impacting nonimmigrant students for the fall school term.
In accordance with March 2020 guidance, nonimmigrant students in new or initial status after March 9 will not be able to enter the U.S. to enroll in a U.S. school as a nonimmigrant student for the fall term to pursue a full course of study that is 100 percent online. Additionally, designated school officials should not issue a Form I-20 to a nonimmigrant student in new or initial status who is outside of the U.S. and plans to take classes at an SEVP-certified educational institution fully online.
Visit https://www.ice.gov/coronavirus for the latest COVID-19-related information and guidance. Please continue to refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of State and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the latest COVID-19 information, specific port-of-entry screening processes, as well as any travel restrictions.
Read the full announcement for more information and to access resources for stakeholders. https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/bcmFall2020guidance.pdf.