APA has expressed strong opposition to the recently issued guidance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities. The policy would prohibit international undergraduate and graduate students, with nonimmigrant F-1 and M-1 visas, from returning to or remaining in the United States if their institutions adopt online-only instruction models due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This action would impact continuity of learning, degree completion, and the health and safety of thousands of international undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students in psychology, while further eroding our nation’s standing as a global leader.
Along with coalition partners in the health professions and scientific community (PDF, 640KB), APA called on the Department of Homeland Security to rescind this guidance (PDF, 245KB). The association has also submitted questions and testimony to several congressional hearings urging Congress to block this misguided and burdensome policy. On July 14, the Trump administration halted its plans to move ahead with the guidance.
For more information, contact Kenneth Polishchuk.