International students completing their medical and doctoral degrees in the United States are wrestling with frustration and uncertainty following the release of federal rules this week that could bar them from staying in the country.
In an emergency ruling Monday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said that students who are on an F-1 visa — usually reserved for international students enrolled in degree programs in the U.S. — will have to leave the country if their schools have opted for online-only classes in the fall. The rules also apply to students who are here on an M-1 visa, which is for completing vocational training and other technical courses.
There are roughly 1 million international students in undergraduate and graduate programs here in the U.S. — around half of whom are in STEM fields, according to a congressional report from late last year. Of these students, the report estimates that nearly 15,000 are in the health professions, and almost 40,000 in the physical or life sciences fields. The future of many of these students — including whether they can complete their degrees — is now up in the air.
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