Nigerians, who are studying in institutions across the United States of America are worried over comments by US immigration authorities. The US immigration authorities have said that international students whose institutions have resorted to full online courses due to the COVID-19 pandemic may face deportation and have their visas revoked.
However, the Nigerian Government is yet to make any statement on the fate of its citizens studying in the US. Likewise, the steps it was taking to protect them from the new policy.
Some of the affected students spoke to SaharaReporters concerning their plight due to their desire to seek for quality education. One of the students said that his only option might be to defer his admission due to travel restrictions and uncertainty around the issue.
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In addition, the student said that if an international student yet outside the US is to register and start classes online, he or she would have to remit tuition fees from their home country. Therefore, he noted that online enrolment might work for those students who have or are paying their fees on their own.
Obidimma Ikeh, a Nigerian student with admission for a PhD in Materials Engineering at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, also expressed his concerns. Ikeh stated that he wants the US government to assure international students who will opt to take online classes from their home country that visa application, processing and issuance will be easy for students in Spring 2021 when travel is more likely.
With the increasing cases of Covid-19 around the world, there is no certainty on when activities will resume as before.