The Immigration and Customs Department of the United States (US) announced a policy change on Friday, 24 July, banning admission of any new foreign student in any online-only study program, reported news agency AFP.
This development comes days after the Trump administration revoked an order compelling foreign students with no in-person classes in America to leave the country, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, after top universities challenged it in court.
According to the AFP report, the Trump administration’s latest ban on new foreign students seeking admission in online-only programs is being viewed as an attempt to put pressure on educational institutions to resume in-person classes.
Trump is reportedly keen on presenting in-person classes as an indication of return to normalcy.
While the fall semester plans for most US colleges are unclear at the moment, Harvard University has maintained that, barring rare exceptions, all classes for the 2020-21 session will be conducted online, reported AFP.
More than 1,44,000 people have reportedly died in the US due to COVID-19.
(With inputs from AFP.)
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