Top 12 Trending International Education News
March 11, 2021
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USCIS Offers Flexibility for OPT Applications
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced changes to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) policies which will benefit more foreign students. First, the 14-month completion period will start as of the date of the I-765 approval as opposed to the academic program end date. Also, an OPT recipient who had already received an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) approval notice that was not valid for the full 12-month period may request a correction, and the USCIS will issue a new EAD at no charge. These changes apply to foreign students who filed (or will file) applications from October 1, 2020, through May 1, 2021.
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Canada Kept Doors Open to Temporary Foreign Workers During 2020’s Pandemic Lockdown, New Numbers Reveal
New numbers reveal that despite the pandemic lockdown, Canada has managed to keep its doors open to temporary foreign workers last year. More than 320,000 people were issued a work permit under various temporary foreign worker programs. Although these figures represent a drop of 10 percent from the previous year, temporary foreign workers appear to have been substantially less interrupted by COVID-19. According to the immigration data, 215,080 work permit holders were admitted under “Canadian interests.”
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International Students Seek Compensation from UK Government
International students affected by COVID-19 measures are campaigning for compensation from the UK government. These are the foreign undergraduates, whose tuition fees are uncapped yet their university experience had been severely affected by travel bans. They said online lectures did not replace live teaching and did not feel like good value for the money they paid. The petition states that virtual teaching is failing and rule-changes relating to international travel were grounds for compensation.
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International Students Forced Into ‘Travel Loophole’
International students are being required to undergo hotel quarantine as part of Scottish measures to prevent the spread of new COVID-19 variants. But due to the prohibitive costs, foreign students resort to using a travel loophole. Figures suggest hundreds of travelers are opting to avoid Scottish quarantine by arriving via England. In turn, the Scottish Government has called on the UK Government to impose stricter restrictions and emphasized that hotel quarantine is essential to managing the pandemic.
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Australia’s Borders to Remain Closed to International Students for Now, Says PM Scott Morrison
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said that opening the country’s international borders at this time would not be considered “safe or wise.” Australia will extend its international travel ban until June 17, 2021. The ban, set to expire on March 17, has now been extended for another three months due to the "unacceptable risk" of COVID outbreaks in other countries. While universities and colleges are actively campaigning to reopen borders for international students and other temporary visa holders blocked from returning to Australia, the federal government has not made any decision to open borders to international students.
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Govt, Universities Should Cover MIQ Fees for Returning International Students, Union Says
A student union in New Zealand is campaigning for international students to be exempted from Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) charges. The cost of a 14-day quarantine in an MIQ hotel will increase from $3100 to $5520 beginning March 25 and is set to affect people entering the country on a visitor, work, or student visa. So far, six of New Zealand’s eight universities have said they would pay half of the MIQ costs for new or returning students, but would not help fund partners or dependents. Universities have expressed concern over the fact that many students are coming from countries with very low average annual earnings and this increase will be quite a challenge for them.
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Why Students Go Dark in Zoom Classes
A survey conducted in a US university has revealed that most students dislike appearing on video during online classes because they are concerned about how they look. Based on the findings, 90 percent of the 276 surveyed students kept their video cameras off during classes. More than 41 percent of students said it was because they were concerned about their appearance.From the survey results, education experts recommend that educators explicitly encourage camera use, but not mandate it.
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International Students to Receive Vaccinations on Schedule with their Domestic Counterparts
International students are set to be vaccinated against COVID-19 on the same timeline as domestic students. The University of Manitoba has received informal assurance from the provincial government that international students will not have to wait for the vaccine due to their “international” status. The Public Health Agency of Canada has also stated residency status will not be a factor in COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Federal and provincial vaccination plans are based on recommendations by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), which has advised that immigrants can be at a higher risk for COVID-19.
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‘Very Concerning’: Indian Students Abandon Australian Universities
The number of new Indian students choosing to study in Australian universities has declined by more than 80 percent in the second half of 2020. Data show only around 2500 Indian students began studying in Australian universities between July and November last year. The Indian student market was worth $6.6 billion to the Australian economy in the 2019-20 financial year, second only to China as the top source country of foreign students. In contrast, education agents reported that the number of inquiries for the UK and Canada doubled and Australian universities are deeply concerned about the shift.
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China-Australia Relations: Lucrative International Education Sector Takes Hit Amid Trade Row, Survey Shows
A new survey shows that more than 80 percent of companies in the China-Australia education sector say bilateral tensions have hurt business over the past year. Some 62 percent of the respondents say attitudes toward Australian education in China ‘have deteriorated’ since a diplomatic spat started last April. The Chinese government has also twice warned its students about serious threats to their safety in Australia due to discrimination and racist attacks.
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Japan to Allow Foreign Residents to Change or Renew Visa Online
Foreign residents in Japan will be allowed to renew, extend, or change visas online, starting in fiscal year 2021. Under the new system commencing in April, foreign nationals living in Japan will be able to apply for status changes using a computer or smartphone. This move is aimed at reducing the waiting lines at bureaus' reception counters and preventing infections with the new coronavirus variants. Foreign residents often need to change their residency status when, for instance, they graduate from school and obtain employment in Japan, or get married to a Japanese national.
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Government to Seek Revival of €2.5bn International Student Sector
Ireland’s Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris will launch a three-year strategy that will help recover the lost income for Higher Education Institutions from the international student market. In 2019, 44,000 international students studied in Ireland, either as undergraduates or postgraduates. Internal reviews suggested that gross income from international students amounted to almost €2.5 billion. Aside from regaining the revenues, the government will also bank on the increase in interest in Irish higher education institutions from both within the European Union and from other countries after Brexit.
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Featured Institution: Bay Atlantic University
Established in 2013, Bay Atlantic University (BAU) is a private, non-profit university based in Washington, DC. The University offers a wide range of programs at bachelor’s, master's, and certificate levels. The programs’ focus are on the areas of Economics and Finance, Accounting, Business Administration and Management, and International Affairs. BAU’s undergraduate and graduate programs are taught by a top-notch faculty of scholar-practitioners who are recognized leaders in their respective fields. BAU is located in the political and historical heart of the United States so students are guaranteed to enjoy the true American experience at Bay Atlantic University.
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Featured Program: Bachelor of Science in Health Science
Presentation College’s Bachelor of Science in Health Science degree is designed to prepare students for professional jobs within the healthcare industry. This program is for individuals who already hold an associate degree in health and wish to pursue further education, those who wish to obtain an entry-level position in a healthcare facility, healthcare workers who want to advance into a management role, and individuals wanting to pursue a graduate degree within the healthcare field. Throughout the course, students will gain mastery of the fundamentals of biology, anatomy, medicine, and nutrition. Plus, it will hone valuable professional skills such as information literacy, organization, communication, and problem-solving. Presentation College is rated as the most diverse college campus in South Dakota and has been continuously accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools since 1971.
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International Education Conferences & Workshops |
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March 22-25, 2021, online
April 6-8, 2021, in Bangkok, Thailand
Crossing boundaries, unlocking creativity
May 31 to June 3, 2021 in Aichi, Japan
September 13-16, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain
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