This archive report was first published on 7 July 2020.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, Kenyan students in the United States are facing uncertainty about their future in the country.
According to a statement by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday, students on non-immigrant F-1 and M-1 visas who attend universities that operate entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the US.
ICE clarified that students attending schools that provide a mixture of online and in-person classes will be permitted to take some online courses, but the schools must certify that the program is not entirely online and that the student is taking the minimum number of online classes required to make normal progress in their degree.
Students whose universities will maintain full in-person classes will remain bound by federal laws that allow a maximum of one class or three credit hours online.
ICE warned that students who remain in the US while taking only online courses could face immigration consequences, including the initiation of removal proceedings.
With over 2.9 million Americans having contracted Covid-19 and 130,000 deaths reported, the US leads the world in coronavirus caseload.
According to a 2019 study, the number of Kenyans enrolled in US higher-education institutions rose by nearly four per cent, reaching a total of 3,451 students.
