MUMBAI: Parmesh Kaur, who is due to start his second year at the University of Illinois, Chicago, is anxious about his academic future. After the sudden change in the US policy regarding visas for international students, his university has asked him to report back on campus by July 22. It has decided to adopt a hybrid mode of teaching, holding some classes in person and most of them online.
The announcement by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement sent shockwaves among students who returned home to families as Covid-19 cases in the US spiralled. The US Department of State decided to not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and programs that are fully online for the fall semester. Students currently enrolled in such programs in the US were advised to depart or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status.
However, with no international flights (repatriation flights are not meant for students), many like Kaur are hoping international travel will open up soon. Top American universities expresse