SEVP modifies temporary exemptions for nonimmigrant students taking online courses during fall 2020 semester

[JeanneAdil 6,583]

There is certainly a lot more involved 

 

The whole picture is what must be looked at by "those in control"  and they should consider

1.  how this impacts students and their degrees, 

2.  future foreign students who have thought to come here and may now look to other places, 

3.  online study itself and its issues, 

4.  the loss revenue for colleges,

5.  and other countries doing this to USC (there seems to be a payback going on like close borders to us and we close ours to u)

 

My Cornell University has a huge body of foreign students who pay the outrageous tuition fees (for non residents)

so,  colleges are also loosing / loosing a lot 

5,073 international students and money 

 

Cornell University reports having a total of 5,073 international students on campus, 1,602 of whom are undergraduates. This is out of a total of 23,016 students, 14,907 of whom are undergraduates. Cornell suggests that international students make up about 22.0% of the student body.

 

US students left France by the hundreds when the country closed but  we have decent electric and internet here and there was no need to stay in Paris and pay rent as they could study here.

 

Cornell allowed foreign students to stay in the dorms "via an offical petition"  when they closed the dorms in March but for this coming fall term all is in doubt

 

Cornell is starting classes strangely (a hybrid approach ) in September as students will not return to the campus after Thanksgiving

 

Fall classes will start Sept. 2, according to a modified academic calendar that will have most students return home before Thanksgiving break. Students will finish the term with online instruction and exams in December, before a delayed start to the spring semester in February.

[retheem 568]

I hope those of us who can vote, will remember this suffering in November when we vote. The integrity, morality and the future of this country is in our hands. Let's make the right choice.

[OrihimeandIchigo 216]

2 hours ago, Sm1smom said:

Some are upset for legitimate reasons that makes online study difficult to sustain in their home countries:

1. Lack of reliable or even none internet connection 

2. Electricity - Power supply is a big mess in some of those countries - power supply could be available for a couple of hours a day, or even none available for several days back to back. 
3. For those who are able to afford generations to provide them with the equivalent power supply, the noise from those generators make studying quite hard. 
4. Many of these students could possibly be sharing a room with several siblings back at home, so no dedicated place for studying. 
5. There’s the different time zones factor to contend with. 
 

I’m sure there are several other reasons outside of what I’ve listed above that people are upset about.  Overall, there’s the feeling of being held accountable and penalized for a decision taken by their school administrators. 

 

I guess that makes sense in a way.

 

I keep seeing discussions online that people think this is some big ploy of the government to force the Universities to be open. Does Visa Journey members think this is true? And if so why? I've been trying to think of why? 

[Mollie09 1,543]

16 minutes ago, OrihimeandIchigo said:

I guess that makes sense in a way.

 

I keep seeing discussions online that people think this is some big ploy of the government to force the Universities to be open. Does Visa Journey members think this is true? And if so why? I've been trying to think of why? 

A lot of universities rely on international students paying full tuition to subsidize local students and keep rates low. Universities going full online are going to lose most if not all of their international students with this move, so I can see the argument that this will force them to reopen not to lose the money.

[Person25 2]

I would like to ask a question related to this new ICE decision. If I am an international student and I have filled the I-485 form after marrying a US citizen, would I be able to study remotely while in the US? 

[juancarlos 126]

7 minutes ago, Person25 said:

I would like to ask a question related to this new ICE decision. If I am an international student and I have filled the I-485 form after marrying a US citizen, would I be able to study remotely while in the US? 

This is a good question. I am in the same situation and I'm not pretty sure. I contacted my ISSS to ask about it. I know we can maintain our F-1 status while we are pending on our Adjustment of Status if we keep attending full time classes, but if the University goes full online... can we still attend the classes? I want to believe that we are not in risk but honestly there is still a lot of confusion regarding this matter.

 

If you or someone else find out something about this, please let us know. I will do so.

Edited July 7, 2020 by juancarlos

[geowrian 22,337]

3 hours ago, Mollie09 said:

These are all great points, but there's a bigger picture here. Getting a university degree is hardly only about receiving content. Meeting people, creating networks, debating ideas, the experience as a whole is something you can't get online. That's not even to mention the learning that just can't happen online, eg. labs, research, practicums.

 

This is a tremendous loss for international students, but ultimately the US system as a whole is going to suffer because of it. It's a shame.

Depends on the type of coursework being conducted. There were quite a few number of suitable online-only colleges and universities pre-COVID. The university I taught at had already planned for this type of event (having to teach all online due to various events) almost a decade ago now.

You can still meet people, create networks, debate ideas, etc. online.

 

Some types of classes are better suited to an online platform than others. The experience is better suited to some people than others.

I'm not suggesting there won't be impacts of it, but one semester or one year of online classes is not really going to cause a significant impact across the entire US system. If it went on for years, possibly, but this is a bump in the big picture.

 

22 minutes ago, Person25 said:

I would like to ask a question related to this new ICE decision. If I am an international student and I have filled the I-485 form after marrying a US citizen, would I be able to study remotely while in the US? 

15 minutes ago, juancarlos said:

This is a good question. I am in the same situation and I'm not pretty sure. I contacted my ISSS to ask about it. I know we can maintain our F-1 status while we are pending on our Adjustment of Status if we keep attending full time classes, but if the University goes full online... can we still attend the classes? I want to believe that we are not in risk but honestly there is still a lot of confusion regarding this matter.

 

If you or someone else find out something about this, please let us know. I will do so.

You would be violating F-1 status. But you would be covered with a period of authorized stay due to the pending I-485.

The only issue occurs if AOS is denied or abandoned as you would be left without status and without authorized stay.

 

You can study with a pending I-485 fine.

Edited July 7, 2020 by geowrian

[JeanneAdil 6,583]

2 hours ago, OrihimeandIchigo said:

I guess that makes sense in a way.

 

I keep seeing discussions online that people think this is some big ploy of the government to force the Universities to be open. Does Visa Journey members think this is true? And if so why? I've been trying to think of why? 

No,  as they still do not open our own government offices like IRS and SS or the embassies

[JeanneAdil 6,583]

2 hours ago, Mollie09 said:

A lot of universities rely on international students paying full tuition to subsidize local students and keep rates low. Universities going full online are going to lose most if not all of their international students with this move, so I can see the argument that this will force them to reopen not to lose the money.

Not only paying but the foreign alumni are hit up like to rest of us to give, give give and if their kids (or grandchildren in my case ) can not attend college here,  why give.

i certainly will vote and hope you' all will do the same

and lets hope the people who had naturalization cancelled get to take the oath before November and can join us in that freedom to choose

Edited July 7, 2020 by JeanneAdil

[OrihimeandIchigo 216]

I understand its upsetting for the people who have to leave to do schooling abroad at home but on the other side what of the idea that if you take out in person learning requirements for F1 visas there is way to much room for schools to do scams and fraud with people selling "online schooling F1 visas".  Who knows who is "actually" studying and taking tests. 

[igoyougoduke 1,662]

3 hours ago, Person25 said:

I would like to ask a question related to this new ICE decision. If I am an international student and I have filled the I-485 form after marrying a US citizen, would I be able to study remotely while in the US? 

remote in US or Abroad ? if all you classes are remote than you  will lose F1 status. Considering you filed I-485 you will be in a authorized status until I-485 is adjudicated.