India raises F-1 visa issue, US says will try to mitigate impact: Sources

New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI): The United States has told India that it will keep the best interests of the students in mind and try and mitigate the impact of the new rule regarding the F-1 visa, sources said.
The issue was raised during the virtual foreign office consultations between Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale.
The Trump administration announced those F-1 and M-1 (non-academic and vocational students) visa holders planning to take online classes only will not be allowed to remain in the U.S.
"The issue of F-1 visa students was raised during India-US Foreign Office Consultations," a source said.
The sources said that the US side took note of it and said they will keep the best interests of the students in mind and try and mitigate the impact.
Detailed implementation guidelines are yet to come out, they added.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency within the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday announced that the international students pursuing courses in the United States must leave the country if their institutes have switched to complete the online course due to the coronavirus pandemic
During the foreign office consultations, Shringla and Hale reviewed the entire gamut of engagements under the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, including political, economic, commercial, regional and international cooperation.
In the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, they agreed to further strengthen the bilateral health partnership, including on pharmaceuticals and vaccine development. (ANI)