U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) sent participating colleges and universities the guidance on Monday (March 9, 2020). The guidance suggests on how schools affected by the disease can report procedural adaptations, including online instruction or alternate physical location, to SEVP. Schools must notify SEVP of procedural adaptations within 10 business days of the change.
SEVP-certified schools should advise students traveling from countries impacted by COVID-19 to refer to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of State and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for specific port-of-entry screening processes, as well as any travel restrictions.
The guidance covers international students in academic and vocational programs, a major portion of the college student population in the U.S.
The number of online courses international students can take is generally restricted. The new SEVP guidance would help to ensure those students could stay in their classes as more institutions take programs online in an effort to stem the spread of the new virus and the respiratory illness it causes, COVID-19.
SEVP is asking schools to inform them if they change how they deliver courses to international student visa holders, and to include details on how the school plans to keep tabs on these students.
https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/bcm2003-01.pdf
Nachman Phulwani Zimovcak (NPZ) Law Group, P.C., assists clients, their families and HR Professionals in organizations of all sizes with a variety of U.S. Immigration and Nationality law issues, including the preparation of immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, and Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, Compliance, I-9 Audits and Investigations. Please feel free to visit our website at www.visaserve.com; send an inquiry to info@visaserve.com; or call our office at 201-670-0006.