Some 50% of US higher education institutions that took part in an IIE survey have reported that international student application numbers are lower than in previous years, 18% said they saw a “substantial decline”.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has confirmed that newly enrolled international students on fully online courses will "likely not be able to obtain" F-1 or M-1 visas, to the dismay of many in the sector.
The USA's ESL sector faces an "existential threat" - stakeholders have spoken about the difficult choices facing them as new federal guidance mandates in-person teaching in the fall semester, with no online instruction at all allowed on ESL courses.
Institutions across the US have shared plans to challenge ICE guidelines preventing international students from taking online-only courses.
Harvard and MIT have filed a federal lawsuit to bar the enforcement of new guidelines that prevent international students from attending US institutions offering online-only courses.
Harvard University joins voices of disapproval and concern as it warns it will do all it can to ensure international students can continue their studies without fear of being forced to leave the country.
The US has ruled that wholly-online study from September will not be permissible for international students, in new SEVP guidance that has caused shock and consternation in the sector.
A major repositioning of resources and replanning of budget priorities has been happening as North American institutions adjust to Covid-19 realities.
