Many US consulates around the world are closed or have scaled back operations due to the pandemic. An interview with California State University Associate Vice President of International Education and Global Engagement Jeet Joshee reveals that the biggest hurdle for international students in getting a visa is their inability to get an interview scheduled. The backlog in many cases may mean students will not be able to get a visa in time to go on campus for the fall semester. Joshee suggests that allowing online interviews may be the best solution.

Global learners are committed to their study abroad aspirations amid the challenges of the pandemic. This was the result of the International Student Crossroads research among 6,000 respondents from 57 countries, all of whom are aspiring to study in Canada, Australia, NZ, the UK, and the US. Despite the optimism of 75% of surveyed students, there has been a five-percent drop in student confidence due to the prolonged uncertainty and disruption amid the COVID-19 health crisis.

HEIs are in talks with the Scottish government about plans of allowing international students to bypass hotel quarantine. Initially, inbound travelers to Scotland are required to quarantine for 10 days at the airport hotel, which costs £1,750. As HEIs see this as an obstacle to global learners, four institutions are now in the latter stages of planning on how to allow some international students to bypass the hotel quarantine and to instead isolate themselves in a controlled and university-managed accommodation. Through this setup, HEIs also see the opportunity to provide pastoral care and educational support to foreign students.

Non-EU global learners will now find it easier to get a student permit as the Swedish Migration Agency has removed the previous requirement that they must physically spend 50% of the course in the country. This is to keep up with the teaching trend of distance learning which most Swedish universities have been doing since the pandemic broke. Additionally, the previous exception that foreign students no longer need to leave Sweden for the renewal of permits will still be in force for the rest of 2021.

Student recruitment agency IDP conducted a survey of 6,000 prospective international students to Australia. Results reveal that only 7% would be willing to continue with their courses if they are fully online. About 38% would be willing to attend online classes if it will eventually transition to in-person classes, while 43% would defer until on-campus classes are allowed. Australia continues to impose strict border restrictions with no indication of when the country will once again be open to international students.

The Massey University in New Zealand is offering online classes to 100 of its students in China that they can attend together at a learning center in Nanjing​ University of Finance and Economics. The center also provides local learning support advisors for those who need tutoring. For many of the students who were prevented from going back to campus due to travel restrictions, the pilot program is the next best thing. Massey may expand the program in the second semester.

The University of Kentucky will continue to hold its 4-H Golden Week programs as scheduled, shifting to a virtual platform in lieu of its traditional program. Kentucky 4-H International Program coordinator Rachel Noble believes educating the youth about other cultures can help them develop a global mindset. Golden Week programs traditionally focus on different cultures. Kentucky 4-H focused on the Japanese culture for April 29 and May 5 in partnership with other 4-H organizations.

Some global learners from Central Asia who are looking forward to studying in Windsor are faced with another layer of uncertainty as Canada has banned inbound travel from India and Pakistan for 30 days. As a workaround to this unprecedented turn of events, HEIs such as St. Claire College from Windsor has committed to accommodating inquiries and talking to landlords on behalf of the foreign students. Meanwhile, the University of Windsor ensured that stranded students can start their program remotely from their home countries and can receive counseling services and support.

Universities Australia and S&P Global Ratings have published bleak predictions for Australia’s international education sector, causing widespread cutbacks and layoffs. Because the country attributes more than 25% of its tertiary level enrolments to foreign students, the revenue shortfall resulting from waning interest is proportionately larger than it has been for the US and the UK. This has sparked fears that big brand universities will lower fees or entry standards to attract students away from lesser known institutions. Spokespersons for identified big brand universities deny the allegations.

The Canadian government will ban the entry of international students to Ontario in line with its latest efforts to quell the spread of COVID-19. Ontario is the worst-hit province in the entire Canada. The country has so far reported 1.22 million coronavirus cases, including 463,000 in Ontario. Of the total 24,219 fatalities, 8,050 were reported from Ontario. The state also holds the greatest number of international students in the country at 242,825. According to the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), there were 530,540 international students in Canada in 2020, of which the maximum was from India with 34 percent followed by China at 22 percent.

South Korea state data suggest that the country needs to diversify the nationalities of foreign students admitted into its institutions by actively attracting students from a variety of countries and offering more subjects in accordance with globalization. According to the Korean Immigration Service, those from Vietnam and China took up the dominant percentage, 69.8 percent, of 158,923 foreign students staying in the nation as of March 2021. Of these, 59,876 were Vietnamese and 51,094 Chinese. 

Some 800 foreign students in Malaysia have been left in the lurch after their university could not get accreditation for many of its courses. The students said the accreditation was revoked by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) for failing to maintain the quality and standards required by the authorities. Without accreditation, their degrees are not recognized locally or internationally. This means that the tuition fees and time spent studying by the students from three to five years have all been wasted. Foreign learners in the country are also facing problems extending their visas after the program accreditations were revoked.

Founded as a school in 1595 by the Society of Merchant Venturers, the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) in the modern day is one of the largest and most popular universities across the United Kingdom. At present, UWE has more than 27,000 students, 4,000 of whom are international students hailing from 140 different countries. The university offers over 600 courses at the undergraduate, postgraduate, professional, and short course level, with a broad subject portfolio encompassing the arts, creative industries, health, science, business, law, environment, and technology. 

University of the West of England has links with over 1,000 businesses and organizations. UWE has established working partnerships with employers such as CERN, Rolls Royce, the NHS, and BBC, which support the university in developing relevant course content and offering its students various professional opportunities. Being located in Bristol, UWE students enjoy spending their university life in a major hub of social and cultural activity in the UK, with vibrant art and live music scenes, famous restaurants, and a flourishing economy.