With the unavailability of vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) in some countries, U.S. higher education associations call on the government to allow international students and scholars to the country regardless of the brand of vaccine they received.
Thirty-eight organizations have joined the American Council on Education to urge authorities to clarify the regulations in a letter addressed to the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Key Takeaways:
- Thirty-eight higher education associations joined the American Council on Education to urge authorities to clarify the new policy for fully vaccinated international students.
- International students coming from countries without widely available U.S- and WHO-approved vaccines are on the line.
- Higher education organizations also call for students to have access to COVID-19 vaccines upon their arrival in the United States.
The organizations also expressed their growing concern over unvaccinated students who will be barred from entering the country under the new policy.
Starting Nov. 8, international travelers, including fully vaccinated students, will be permitted by the White House and the CDC to enter the country.
While the organizations applaud the policy allowing more flexibility for international travelers, “such a broad” policy is anticipated to impact international students who will be coming from countries where approved vaccines are not widely available.
Apart from the call to allow international students to travel to the United States, higher education organizations also call for students to have access to COVID-19 vaccines upon their arrival.
The letter has hinted at the need for authorities to clarify whether exceptions will allow more international students and scholars to arrive in the United States.
To ensure that international students from countries with limited access to U.S.- and WHO-approved vaccines are not restricted from traveling to the United States for their studies, the organizations demanded the White House and the CDC to work with the higher education community.
According to Joann Ng Hartmann from NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the sector is still trying to understand the rollout plan of the requirement for all travelers to enter the United States. MSM Unify is your one-stop source platform that connects students, higher education institutions, and agents in the US and the world.
