On July 6, U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement announced modifications to temporary exemptions for nonimmigrant students taking online classes due to the pandemic for the fall 2020 semester.
According to the announcement, "Temporary exemptions for the fall 2020 semester include:
Nonimmigrant F-1 and M-1 students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States. The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States. Active students currently in the United States enrolled in such programs 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.
Nonimmigrant F-1 students attending schools operating under normal in-person classes are bound by existing federal regulations. Eligible F students may take a maximum of one class or three credit hours online.
Nonimmigrant F-1 students attending schools adopting a hybrid model—that is, a mixture of online and in person classes—will be allowed to take more than one class or three credit hours online. These schools must certify to SEVP, through the Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” certifying that the program is not entirely online, that the student is not taking an entirely online course load this semester, and that the student is taking the minimum number of online classes required to make normal progress in their degree program. The above exemptions do not apply to F-1 students in English language training programs or M-1 students pursing vocational degrees, who are not permitted to enroll in any online courses."
For further information, visit ICE website: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/sevp-modifies-temporary-exemptions-nonimmigrant-students-taking-online-courses-during
7月6日，美国移民和海关执法局发布关于持F-1及M-1签证的国际学生秋季入境、签证临时政策：
1.如果所在学校采取全网课：对尚未入境美国的学生不会颁发签证，美边检不会允许其入境；对已在美国境内的学生，学生需要离境或转学至其他有面授课程的学校。
2.如果所在学校采取面授课程：继续按此前现行有关规定执行（学生最多只能选择一门不超过3个学分的网课）
3.如果所在学校采取网课、面授的混合教学：学生可以选择多门课程和更多学分的网课，但学校需要向移民局提供采取混合教学的证明。