Top 12 Trending International Education News
Dec 3, 2020
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Judge’s Order Will Save OPT for International Students
A federal district court judge has announced that he plans to issue an order against the group that brought the lawsuit and grant motions for summary judgment to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and trade associations that intervened in the case on behalf of international students. In 2019, the plaintiffs, the Washington Alliance of Technology Workers (WashTech), asked the court to declare Optional Practical Training (OPT) to be unlawful. OPT allows international students to work for 12 months, and 24 additional months in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The ability to work on OPT after graduation is considered crucial to many international students.
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International Students Struggling to Meet Current Requirements for Permanent Residency
International students in Canada are increasingly anxious about post-graduate employment as their study permits will soon expire. Upon graduation, international students receive a post-graduate work permit of up to 36 months, which is not renewable. To apply for permanent residency in Canada, international student graduates must acquire one to two years of work experience within industries allowed by the National Occupational Codes (NOC). However, the labor market shrunk significantly due to the pandemic. As a result, many international students have been laid off from work and are struggling to fulfill their employment requirements toward permanent residency.
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Universities Told to Stagger Return of Students Over Five Weeks Post-Christmas
The UK government has instructed universities to stagger the return of students over five weeks after Christmas to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Moreover, online lessons will continue for most students from the start of the term. Some students will be allowed to return to their university gradually over two weeks from January 25. Coronavirus tests will be offered to all students when they return to campus in the new year to help isolate those who are asymptomatic. The government has also announced a one-off fund of up to £20 million (about $27 million) to help students most in need of support in these exceptional circumstances.
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Does Ireland Have a Diversity Problem at Third Level?
A new report from the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) and the British Council in Ireland has revealed that there is a lack of data on international students which may affect the educational and career opportunities of black, Asian, and other ethnic minority students in Ireland. The RIA report says that colleges and universities need to do more to lead the change towards a more diverse and inclusive sector. Universities are encouraged to bring together different perspectives to be innovative, and this should be reflected in a diverse curriculum designed by a diverse student and academic body. The Irish government also instructs academic institutions to be more proactive in reporting international student data to improve representation.
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Australia Hopes a Pilot Program for International Students Can Restart its Crucial Education Sector
A cohort of 63 international students on Monday has arrived in Australia under a pilot program that allows them to resume their studies, even as the country’s borders remain closed because of the pandemic. This is the first group of international students allowed in since March and they landed at the Darwin International Airport in the Northern Territory from Singapore. The students are from mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, and Indonesia. All of them tested negative for the coronavirus 72 hours before boarding the chartered flight. They will be required to quarantine outside the city of Darwin for 14 days before being allowed to re-enter the campus. The education sector is set to lose billions of dollars if the country’s borders do not reopen before the end of 2021.
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COVID-19: International Students at Risk of Losing University Places Call on Government to Restart Visa process
A group of international students is calling on the New Zealand government to restart visa processing so they can begin their studies when the border reopens. New Zealand stopped processing visa applications in August after the border closure. The government has recently announced 250 international students would be allowed into the country, with priority going to Ph.D. students, but those without a visa are ineligible. Currently, some 7,289 student visa applications are awaiting processing. At this time, any processing of offshore student visa applications will only take place if the person is someone to whom a border exception applies.
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International Students Face Tough Decision to Stay in Reno or Go Home for the Holidays
Some universities in the Nevada state are highly discouraging any type of travel during the holidays for its students. Some schools have already suspended all university-supported international travel by students and staff. With these foregoing, international students are caught in the middle. They are worried about the possibility of not getting back to Northern Nevada if they will leave the country for a short vacation. Some students just settled on not returning home to see their families and will just spend the holidays with internship work during the winter break.
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Indians Looking to Study in the US Can Cheer as Optional Practical Training Stays
Indian students enrolled in US schools have felt major relief as a US court has denied the demand to declare optional practical training (OPT) as unlawful. For many of these students, this news brings new hope as OPT is an important criterion for choosing US universities as this allows them to work in the US after graduation. The opportunity to work in the US is important since it is a gateway to get an H-1B visa. Presently, there are close to 200,000 Indians studying in the US, according to a 2020 survey by Open Doors even though the Indian student visa enrollment in the US has fallen by 64 percent in 2020 due to COVID-19.
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No State Met the Deadline for an International Students Quarantine Plan
No state or territory has met a federal government deadline to outline their plans for the return of international students in 2021 by the end of November. The plans had to be signed off by the Premiers and their chief health officers and needed to demonstrate how international students could be brought in safely after Christmas. The November 30 deadline coincided with the arrival of 63 international students in Darwin on a chartered flight from Singapore, as part of a pilot program with Charles Darwin University. The NT pilot is a small pilot that will help design a safe way to return international students once all stranded overseas Australian nationals have returned to the country.
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Declining Enrollment of International Students Signals Impending US Soft Power Crisis
The Institute of International Education (IIE) and the US Department of State have recently released data that suggests that the attractive power of the US higher education system to international students is currently on the decline. Based on criteria, for international education to effectively serve as a source of soft power, foreign students must continue to study in the United States in large numbers. The annual Open Doors report shows a 1.8% decline in the total number of international students in the United States for the current academic year. Experts foresee that foreign student numbers will rebound to some extent once the pandemic ends. However, policy changes are necessary to ensure the future of US soft power. Stability in the visa process will be vital in welcoming students back post COVID-19.
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This ‘Big’ Visa Incentive for Australia’s International Students Will Come Into Effect in 2021
In a bid to support the regional international education sector, the Australian Government will provide an extension of post-study work visa rights to international students who have studied and lived in regional areas. From 2021, the post-study work stream Temporary Graduate Visa (TGV) holders who have acquired their degrees from a regional educational institution and have lived in regional Australia on their first TGV will be eligible for a second TGV. The incentive will provide the necessary support to universities and communities in regional areas currently buckling under the financial pressure and massive job loss in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Japan to Loosen Work Rules on Foreign Nationals Stuck Due to Pandemic
Japan is loosening regulations on part-time work for foreign nationals stuck in the country due to the pandemic and are having trouble supporting themselves. Some foreign students in Japan have been stuck in Japan longer than expected, leaving some without financial support. The new rule will allow temporary residents with 90-day short-stay permits to renew their permits and receive permission to work up to 28 hours a week, while technical trainees will be able to change their visas to a “specified activity” work permit for six months. Holders of student visas will be able to work for up to 28 hours a week even if they are no longer students.
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Featured Institution: Montana State University Billings
Founded in 1927, Montana State University Billings (MSU Billings) is the third-largest university in the state of Montana. With a 110-acre campus located in downtown Billings, Montana, the university offers over 100 specialized programs for certificates, associate, bachelor's, and master’s degrees through the University's five colleges. Home to an over-4,000-strong student community, MSU Billings has top programs in the fields of Arts and Sciences, Business, Allied Health Professions, and Education and offers a comfortable student-faculty ratio of 14:1. Aside from its wide range of high-quality programs, MSU Billings offers many student services, including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, daycare, health service, health insurance, and 24-hour campus safety and security services.
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Featured Program: Bachelor of Business Administration in Sustainable Business Practices
The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Sustainable Business Practices is the benchmark business program of the College of the Rockies. The course is designed to prepare students to succeed in a fast-paced and competitive business environment. While sustainability is the focus, a combination of liberal arts, science, and specific business courses make up this four-year degree. The BBA is designed to be flexible and accessible in which students can choose to study full-time or part-time, in traditional classrooms or online. They are also allowed to choose specific electives and enter or exit the program at various points. The College of the Rockies is a Canadian public community college located in the southeast corner of British Columbia, Canada. The college offers a full range of programs – both in-class and online – in the areas of university studies, adult basic education, health, child youth and family studies, administrative studies, tourism, computer technology, fire services, and trades.
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International Education Conferences & Workshops |
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November 30 - December 11, 2020, online
January 6-10, 2021, in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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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