The U.S. Department of State announced that foreign students with F-1 and M-1 visas studying in the U.S. will be able to return to the U.S. automatically. This is an exception to the recent Biden-administration travel restrictions set in place to limit the impact of COVID-19 and variants.

Foreign students are of the exemptions, along with those that are deemed to be of national interest to the United States, as determined by the Secretaries of State and DHS.

Students with qualifying visas from Europe and the U.K. do not need to apply separately for the individual exemption. Foreign students applying for new student visas should contact the embassy or consulate for more information.

Other individuals, including journalists, public health professionals, those pursuing humanitarian efforts, academics, and business travelers with a valid visa or visa waiver are eligible to apply for the national interest exemption.

In fiscal year 2020, the State Department issued 23,696 student visas for European and U.K. nationals, according to statistics maintained by the department.

If you have questions about a student visa or any immigration topics, contact us at ILBSG. Our attorneys have a wealth of expertise and experience to ensure you get the right advice.

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