Federal guidance for international students enrolled in U.S. universities is likely to remain the same for Spring semester 2021 regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, an ICE spokesperson announced.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) federal guidance, issued in March 2020, allows international students with F or M student visas to take their courses online without jeopardizing their immigration status.

Normally, international students must be in the U.S. when studying to maintain the status of their student visas. Because of the pandemic, international students who were enrolled in March 2020 have been allowed to continue their studies online with U.S. institutions.

ICE has not released official COVID-19 guidance for the spring semester on their website, but international education organizations and institutions say the status will remain the same and that is what they are advising students.

If the international student guidance officially continues into the Spring 2021 semester, here’s what it may mean to current and prospective international students at U.S. higher education institutions.

What this means for existing students

Continuing international students who held valid nonimmigrant student visas on March 9, 2020 may continue to take their course load online whether inside the United States or abroad. These students will be able to maintain their immigration status as long as they enroll in a full course load.

Students who were actively enrolled at a U.S. university on March 9, 2020 but took online courses while outside of the United States may re-enter the U.S. even if their university has converted to a fully online model.

However, international students who were newly admitted after March 9, 2020 — mostly freshmen — may not take a full course load online and must take at least one in-person class.

What this means for new international students

Newly admitted international students for the Spring 2021 semester who are in the United States and hold valid student visas may enroll in 100% online courses as long as they do not leave before their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records are activated.

SEVIS is the web-based system the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uses to maintain information on SEVP-certified schools, F-1 and M-1 students who come to the United States to attend those schools, according to the ICE website.

Unlike students who have been enrolled since March 2020, new international students who are outside the U.S. and wish to enter with an initial Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” may not take a full course load online. They can only enter the U.S. if they can obtain a student visa and enroll in at least one in-person course.

If the school is operating 100% online, school officials are not allowed to issue a Form I-20 for a student in new or initial status who is outside of the United States.

COVID-19 and Spring 2021

As the United States continues to grapple with COVID-19, U.S. universities and colleges are mostly continuing their 2020 guidelines into the new year.

Prior to the SEVP guidance extension into Spring 2021, the American Council on Education issued a multi-association letter on December 4, 2020, urging the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue a COVID-19 guidance for international students and visitors for the Spring 2021 semester. However, ICE has not yet posted an official COVID-19 guidance document for the spring semester.

In Fall 2020, international student enrollment at U.S. higher education institutions dropped by 16% because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a joint report by the Institute of International Education and nine partner higher education associations.

The administration of President Donald Trump said on Monday it will review Columbia University's federal contracts and grants over allegations of antisemitism, which it says the educational institution has shown inaction in tackling.

Rights advocates note rising antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias since U.S. ally Israel's devastating military assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Hamas militants' deadly October 2023 attack.

The Justice Department said a month ago it formed a task force to fight antisemitism. The U.S. Departments of Health and Education and the General Services Administration jointly made the review announcement on Monday.

"The Federal Government's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is considering Stop Work Orders for $51.4 million in contracts between Columbia University and the Federal Government," the joint statement said.

The agencies said no contracting actions had been taken yet.

"The task force will also conduct a comprehensive review of the more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia University."

The agencies did not respond to requests for comment on whether there were similar reviews over allegations of Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias.

Columbia had no immediate comment. It previously said it made efforts to tackle antisemitism.

College protests

Trump has signed an executive order to combat antisemitism and pledged to deport non-citizen college students and others who took part in pro-Palestinian protests.

Columbia was at the center of college protests in which demonstrators demanded an end to U.S. support for Israel due to the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's assault on Gaza. There were allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia in protests and counter-protests.

During last summer's demonstrations around the country, classes were canceled, some university administrators resigned and student protesters were suspended and arrested.

While the intensity of protests has decreased in recent months, there were some demonstrations last week in New York after the expulsion of two students at Columbia University-affiliated Barnard College and after New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the removal of a Palestinian studies job listing at Hunter College.

A third student at Barnard College has since been expelled, this one related to the occupation of the Hamilton Hall building at Columbia last year.

The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.

It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.

In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.

Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.

Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.

"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.

The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.

An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."

House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."

Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.

Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.

The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.

"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."

The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.

STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)

U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.

Read the full story here. (January 2025)