International students in the US who are applying for Optional Practical Training (OPT) are complaining that their immigration status is at risk due to processing time delays in facilities overseen by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). These delays affect their ability to accept job offers because some employers are asking to see the receipt notice from their OPT application. Ninety days before graduation, foreign students in the US on F-1 visas can apply for the OPT. While those students applying for OPT extensions must file for work authorization within 90 days upon expiry.

Although the state of Ottawa temporarily lifted the restriction on international students' work hours in April of last year to help address the insufficiency of healthcare staff, the measure immediately expired on August 31, 2020, and has not been reinstated to date. Since the work hour restriction is still enforced, many international students who are trying to complete a full course load in health courses are complaining as this limits their capacity to fulfill the requirement. Affected foreign students also request Ottawa to make work hours done in essential jobs count towards permanent residency applications.

The loss of part-time jobs of hundreds of thousands of international students in the UK has left many so desperate they rely on food handouts. This situation is now prevalent in parts of east London where the Newham Community Project, a mosque-based charity, provides food to more than 1,300 students every week. Students from India and China who typically rely on part-time jobs to cover basic expenses are among the worst affected by the new lockdowns. 

The Minister for Health of Ireland has stated that suspending hospital training for student nurses to free up nursing tutors for frontline work is the right thing to do. Based on the policy, training for first, second, and third-year students is being suspended for a few weeks while the health service battles a surge in COVID-19 cases. More than 2,000 student nurses will see their clinical training placements in public hospitals suspended for two weeks. The suspension would free up several experienced nurses during this time when more than 6,000 frontline health staff are unavailable, either due to having contracted COVID-19 or being a close contact, at a time when the health services are under a huge amount of pressure.

Figures from the Federal Department of Education, Skills, and Employment show 30 percent of Australia's 542,106 student visa holders were out of the country as of January 10. Most departures have occurred in New South Wales (60,394), Victoria (56,824), and Queensland (23,753). According to the department's figures, close to 100,000 Chinese students have departed, along with 12,740 from India and 4,655 from Vietnam. This situation has left most student accommodation facilities with an 80 to 90 percent cut in occupancy rates. Student accommodation providers are lobbying state governments to allow quarantine arrangements in their facilities.

The New Zealand government has approved an exception class for 1,000 international tertiary students, degree level and above, who began their study in New Zealand but were caught offshore when border restrictions began. The exception will allow students to return to New Zealand in phases, beginning with a cohort of 300 that will be able to return from April, with the remaining students returning throughout the year as managed isolation availability allows. The New Zealand government has stated that this border exception delivers a part of the recovery plan for international education. It underscores the government's commitment to the international education sector, which is important in the country's long-term economic recovery from COVID-19.

A group of international students filed a federal lawsuit against a community college in Iowa alleging that they were forced to work long hours for little pay and were threatened with deportation if they did not comply. The suit has been filed Monday and accuses Western Iowa Tech Community College of coercing students from Brazil and Chile to come to the school under a J-1 visa program. According to the lawsuit, students were told that the program was a two-year study in which they would complete internships related to their field of study and would work no more than 32 hours a week. Instead, the 11 students allege that they were assigned jobs at a pet food company, or a food packing company. The suit says that the group worked longer than 32 hours a week and the jobs had no educational value and were completely unrelated to their intended fields of study.

University officials have reported that students in India, Nepal, and China, who were originally bound for Australia, have started making other arrangements because they want to study on a real campus instead of online. The information reveals that students are deciding to take the UK and Canada offers because the borders are open. Although the students and families are concerned about the coronavirus crisis, they are prioritizing being able to enter the country and begin studies in the UK over the risks of COVID-19. Education experts foresee that these students shifting to other countries will increase very rapidly if it becomes clear that the Australian government does not intend to allow students in time for the commencement of the spring semester.

 

According to the rules in China, MBBS students have to immediately complete a 52-week physical internship in assigned hospitals after finishing their final-year course to be awarded their MBBS degree. While the first, second, and third-year MBBS students are currently attending lectures online, the final-year students are at a loss, as their internship can only be completed once the lockdown restrictions are lifted. These students have tried writing to several authorities for assistance. They state on their appeal that they are ready to abide by the quarantine rules to go back and complete the internship requirement but the Chinese government still has no response to the request.

Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for the Australian government to let international students back into the country. As of Saturday afternoon, the petition has garnered more than 5,700 signatures. The petition states that international students are willing to quarantine, obey any rules, and pay all the fees just to be able to go back to internships and in-person courses. 

Taiwan People's Party Legislator Chiu Chen-yuan is encouraging the government to create a more welcoming environment for foreign students wishing to work in Taiwan following graduation. Chiu pointed out that many local employers refuse to hire foreigners due to an unfamiliarity with the visa application process. Although foreign talents can qualify for a work permit and Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) by having a salary above NT$47,971 (US$1,713) or through the points system, local companies are often still hesitant to hire them. To resolve the concern, the government must do more to promote the points system and foster a friendlier environment to recruit more foreign talent.

The Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare has issued an administrative notice concerning the criteria for applying health insurance to long-term overseas Koreans and foreigners in Korea. The new criteria come after the ministry implemented the revised health insurance system for foreign residents to enhance equity between Koreans and foreigners. From March 1, the ministry will apply the revised rule to international students, including trainees, obligating them to register for health insurance. The new rule also calls for differentiating insurance fees depending on their length of stay and specifying the timing of buying insurance. 

Founded in 1787, Castleton University is the oldest public liberal arts university in Vermont and the 18th oldest institution of higher education in the United States. It has an enrollment of 2400 students and offers more than 75 areas of study, including eight graduate programs and continuing education certificates. It is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education and is among the best regional colleges in the north of the United States. 

The institute is also known for its sustainable building initiatives. It has reduced its carbon footprint with two micro-wind turbines that generate power on campus and two electric car charging stations and two of its buildings garnered LEED Gold certificate for their sustainable design. Castleton’s popular majors include business, nursing, and health preparatory studies.