Since November, the worldwide coronavirus pandemic has caused closures of U.S. universities and left newly admitted international students unsure of how to proceed. Since March, most U.S. consulates around the world have suspended the routine processing of visas. Due to the visa delays, many U.S. universities are working to accommodate incoming undergraduate international students as the fall 2020 semester approaches.
Apart from moving classes online, some colleges and universities in the U.S. have suspended study abroad programs and asked students to remain at home or elsewhere following spring break. Applicants are overwhelmed with questions: “Is there a guide for international student?’ The most vital advice here is that all students should stay in contact with their college and/or university as developments are changing daily if not hourly. However, while uncertainty remains, colleges are trying to ensure that both current and prospective international students can study in the U.S.
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Online Classes May Be Necessary
Some large public universities are working toward resuming on-campus classes in the fall, such as Arizona State University, James Madison University, Purdue University and 16 campuses in the University of North Carolina system. California State University, the nation’s largest four-year college system, plans to cancel most in-person classes in the fall and instead offer instruction primarily online. The vast majority of classes across the 23-campus Cal State system will be taught online with some limited exceptions that allow for in-person activity. Online classes require significantly more motivation and attention. However, experts say that international students should prepare for the possibility of having to take their fall semester or quarter classes online due to circumstances related to the pandemic, though some schools are taking steps to reopen.
What about the Student Visas?
For students all over the world, there is a lot to worry about right now: remote classes, having to balance the health, family, and maybe a job, along with getting coursework done. And now, as students are beginning to prepare for the next academic year, another worry comes up for some: getting a visa.
For international students to be able to study in the United States, they need an F1 student visa. The process to obtain one is usually quite simple: after enrolling in a school, international students will be issued an I-20 form, the document verifying enrollment and admission to the school. Then they have to take that document along with proof of finances to a U.S. embassy or consulate in their country where they are issued the visa. Once the pandemic gets under control, experts say international students should anticipate having a short window to apply for their visas and move to the U.S.
Prepare in advance
In Michigan State University say they are hoping to begin in the fall so that when a visa appointment opens up, students can apply. “Should they not be able to arrive in time for the start of classes, we will work with those students to help them change their arrival to January.”
Students are anxious to attend the university in person on campus in the fall, rather than online, and are ready to go when visa and travel restrictions are lifted. That is why applicants should think about their application in advance. This is the part where graduate school admission essay editing service can be their rescuer. It can raise the chances of being accepted and help them tell their unique stories in a compelling and winning way and grab the admission committee’s attention from the very first paragraph. And a result, become the student of their target university.
