Young: Only students in online studies have to leave US

National Security Minister Stuart Young has spoken to the US Embassy and confirmed that the new immigration rule about foreign students having to leave that country applies only to those who have no physical classes.

Last week the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a news release on its website announcing changes to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).

The change applied to non-immigrant students taking classes that have been or are being moved online owing to the covid19 epidemic.

It told students already in the country and enrolled in fully online programmes to leave the US, transfer to an institution that offers in-person classes, or face “immigration consequences.”

It also said the US would not issue visas to students who enrolled in schools that were fully online for the fall semester, and would not allow them into the country.

Speaking at the Health Ministry’s virtual press conference on Saturday morning, Young said, “I understand that it brought a lot of anxiety, a lot of panic."He referred to "Reading the e-mail applications of parents and them pleading with me and telling me that, ‘You, sir, are a parent.’ Yes, I am, and it’s not an easy thing. I too am affected.”

He said even if a student has one physical class, they would not have to leave the US. He noted that each student’s circumstances would be different, because he saw that some tertiary-education institutes were holding physical classes that could cover a few credits, which would qualify the students to remain in the country.

He advised them to speak to their schools about the situation.

“What they (the US Embassy) explained to me is that the US visas continue to be okay in the US. It is only if a student is now in a situation where all of their courses – every single course, every single credit – is being carried out online, then they will be asked to leave the US."

The Trump administration has been pushing for US schools and universities to reopen, and those that do while apply strict social distancing guidelines, and some have moved their programmes online to limit the numbers on campuses.

Saying there was “no need for fear,” Young added that if a student was to be deported, the US government would contact the TT government to allow arrangements to be made. He said the TT government was looking at its ability to return nationals, including students, which included looking for additional facilities to quarantine them.

“We are looking at the ability, the opportunity, the option to see how we may be able to repatriate and grant exemptions for students. What it will depend on is if we can get more facilities here in TT and a number of other things.

"So just stay safe where you are.”

To those scholarship students who were required to return to TT to work in the government services after completing their studies, he said the Ministry of Education would not penalise students if they did not return on time.