Washington:
The brand new visa rules requiring worldwide college students within the US with an F-1 visa to take at the very least one in-person course or face the prospect of deportation is more likely to “trigger uncertainties and difficulties” for some college students, the Indian Embassy right here has stated.
“These new modifications at a time when most of the US universities and faculties are but to announce their plans for the brand new educational 12 months are more likely to trigger uncertainties and difficulties for some Indian college students wishing to pursue their research within the US,” stated a spokesperson of the Indian Embassy.
Responding to media queries, the spokesperson stated the Indian authorities has taken up the matter with involved US officers.
On the India-US International Workplace Consultations held on July 7, International Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla conveyed India’s considerations on the matter to Below Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale.
In accordance with a latest report of Scholar and Trade Customer Program (SEVP), there have been 1,94,556 Indian college students enrolled in varied educational establishments of the US in January this 12 months. Of those 1,26,132 had been males and 68,405 had been females.
Noting that partnership in larger schooling is a key part of the robust people-to-people ties between India and the US, the spokesperson stated within the final twenty years Indian college students in American universities and faculties have been the harbingers of a robust partnership between know-how and innovation sectors between the 2 nations.
The spokesperson hoped that the US authorities would offer enough flexibility of their visa rule, protecting in thoughts the extraordinary circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic for the Indian college students neighborhood.
“We proceed to interact all of the stakeholders within the issues, together with the US administration officers, Congressional leaders, universities and faculties in addition to the Indian college students neighborhood within the US as we transfer ahead in direction of the 2020-21 educational 12 months to additional strengthen our bilateral partnership in larger schooling,” the spokesperson stated.
Introduced by the SEVP on July 6, the brand new guidelines present short-term exemptions for nonimmigrant college students on F-1 and M-1 visas taking on-line lessons as a result of COVID-19 pandemic for the autumn semester of the 2020 educational 12 months.
“Whereas these modifications do present some flexibility for US universities and faculties to undertake a hybrid mannequin — that may be a combination of on-line and in individual lessons — additionally they limit worldwide college students on F-1 and M-1 visas from taking programs completely on-line,” the spokesperson stated.
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