Amid the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, a group of 41 education organizations in the United States prompted the government to support global learners and scholars from the Middle Eastern country. These organizations have recommended the removal of the non-immigrant intent for F-1, M-1, and J-1 student and scholar visa programs. They further explained that this restricts the visa approval of Afghan international students amid the fact that they could not provide reasons to return to Afghanistan after completing their programs.

A possible glitch in the TR-to-PR pathway online application program in Canada is causing the rejection of some applications. The TR-to-PR pathway is a one-time program extended to temporary residents in Canada as a way for them to become permanent residents. According to some applicants, the system is bumping their applications to the wrong stream, leading to rejections for submitting the wrong or incomplete documents. The TR-to-PR pathway has three streams each for English and French speakers. The immigration department maintains the error is on the part of the applicant, which is currently under legal challenge.

The British Council has invited applications for its Going Global Partnerships Grant 2021, which aims to promote India-UK partnership for co-creation of the joint programmes at the higher education levels. The objective of this programme is to provide better opportunities to students in the UK and India and give them international learning experience. The last day of application to the programme is October 25, 2021. Institutional applicants can apply online through the British Council’s official website.

Slovenia has gained attraction to international students as shown by the increased number of enrolled students in all Slovenian universities. Foreign students accounted for 11% of the estimated total 65,000 students for the academic year 2020/2021. According to the Education Ministry data in 2020/2021, more than 7,000 international students went to Slovenia: 2,154 from the EU and 5,527 from the third countries.  

The Australian government has finally decided to end the strictest border restriction after 18 months into a pandemic. This decision allows fully vaccinated Australians to travel even for non-essential reasons. Another requirement is to return a negative PCR COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure. According to the announcement by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the restart for international travel will happen when the national average vaccination rate has reached 80 percent of over-16s.

New Zealand COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins released a statement on October 3, 2021, announcing that all foreign nationals will have to reveal their vaccination status when entering the country beginning on November 1. Air travelers must show proof of vaccination or exemption. They must also spend 14 days in quarantine and provide a negative PCR test, except for those from exempt countries. Travelers that fail to show proof of vaccination or exemption may face fines of up to $4,000. 

International students hailing from California can soon pursue their pandemic-halted study-abroad journey. The California State University, for instance, has cautiously reopened some of its study abroad programs such as in Western Europe and South Korea. Although enrollments remain small compared to pre-pandemic times, outbound global learners find it appealing to pursue their plans to study abroad while being mindful of the health and safety precautions.

The author details the economic and social impact that post-secondary institutions have on Canada. Higher education institutions spend almost $40 billion a year and those in Atlantic Canada employ more than 20,000 people. However, a significant part of these contributions is due to the international student population, which incidentally draws more visitors to the country. In addition, international students can lead to the desired growth in population as more than half of graduates want to stay in Canada.

Australia has declared Covishield, the Indian version of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, as one of the recognized vaccines for international travelers. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia has listed Covishield and China’s Coronavac (Sinovac) as recognized vaccines after an initial assessment of data on the protection offered by the two jabs. The inclusion of these vaccines in the approved list was also made as part of measures aimed at safely reopening the country from November.

According to the Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) on COVID-19, Singapore will require all Work Pass and Student’s Pass holders to be fully vaccinated before arriving in the country starting November 1, 2021. This decision was made to allow the necessary workers and students to enter Singapore's borders in a safe and calibrated manner while minimizing public health risks. As for the Student Pass holders, the MTF said the vaccination condition for entry will not apply to those aged below 18 years old. Unvaccinated individuals aged from 12 to less than 18 years old can enter without proof of vaccination, on the condition that they will complete the full vaccination regimen within two months after they arrive in Singapore.

Nepali students in Chinese universities have been unable to return for two years. Since China formally closed its doors to international students in February 2020, those who had come to Nepal for the winter break in December 2019 and the initial days of the pandemic are still stranded in Kathmandu. These students' hopes of completing their studies and career prospects remain in limbo. To help the stranded learners, Nepali political leaders and the Nepal embassy in China also have been raising the issue with the Chinese authorities but they have not received any response from the Chinese government.

Businesses and universities in Japan are calling for foreign workers and students to be allowed into the country. This comes after the Japanese government has announced its plan to shorten the mandatory quarantine period for citizens and resident foreign nationals returning to the country while the ban on new visa applicants will remain in place. The prevailing visa ban has had a particularly heavy impact on universities. Schools say that if the issue on visa issuance will not be sorted by October, universities will again suffer from low enrollment in Spring 2022.

The University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) is the largest public research university in eastern Missouri. It serves the most diverse and economically important region in Missouri and delivers exceptional educational, research, and engagement experiences to its more than 16,000 students.

The campus of UMSL is spread over 470 acres in suburban St. Louis County. Its mix of modern and historic academic buildings is the perfect setting for students to gain insights through the university’s outstanding faculty and work experience from internships at companies and organizations found in an excellent metropolitan region.

UMSL graduates are in all 50 states and 65 countries around the globe, and the more than 75,000 alumni that call the St. Louis region home drive the region’s economy and contribute significantly to its social well-being.