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Germany bans non-EU students whose programs moved online to enter Germany in 2020

20-September-2020 · by Verbalist

20 Sep 2020 – Non-EU students whose programs have moved online due to the pandemic will not be permitted to enter Germany this year. Those enrolled in programs delivered according to a hybrid model, a mix of both in-person and online, will not be affected by the government’s decision. READ MORE

New Canadian visa policies to ease international students’ transition to study in Canada

26-July-2020 · by Verbalist

26 July 2020 – PRODIREKT Academic Advising & Education Group, which owns the Verbalists Language Network, last week shared some important news about the new visa policies and services that are designed to ease international students’ transition to study in Canada in the coming months.

These new measures include:

Providing priority study permit processing for applicants who have submitted a complete application online
Allowing students to count time spent in online studies abroad toward their eligibility for a post-graduation work permit, so long as (i) they have submitted a study permit application and (ii) at least 50% of their program of study is completed in Canada
Implementing a new two-stage approval process for students who cannot submit all of the documentation needed for a complete study permit application (for example, any biometric requirements)

Each of these is significant, but the last item is especially noteworthy as it effectively introduces a conditional approval process for new applicants to help reassure students that they are on track to pursue studies in Canada once visa processing services are fully restored, travel restrictions ease, and international flight services are re-established.

Read the full announcement about this important development here.

US government withdraws online study international student ban

15-July-2020 · by Verbalist

15 July 2020 – The US government has rescinded its 6 July immigration rule that would effectively have barred international students from entering or remaining in the US if their program of study transitioned to online delivery.

The education sector in the US – along with state governments and other stakeholders – banded together to launch a number of legal actions and it was during one of these lawsuits, launched by Harvard University and MIT, that the repeal of the directive was announced. Close to 200 universities supported MIT and Harvard in their lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security. READ MORE

Foreign students will no longer be permitted to enter or remain in the US if their study program is online-only

08-July-2020 · by Verbalist

A new US immigration rule will prevent foreign students from entering the United States if their planned program of study transitions to online delivery for the fall 2020 semester. Similarly, students already in the country may be required to depart if their programs move to online instruction.

On 6 July, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced a rule change setting out “temporary exemptions for nonimmigrant students taking online classes due to the pandemic for the fall 2020 semester.” READ MORE

How the changes in the landscape of global power and business have affected the importance of various languages

11-October-2019 · by Verbalist

It used to be – and not that very long ago – that the list of most important languages in the world to know would have been quite small. French, English, Spanish, and German would have made the list, plus a handful of others depending on where in Europe and Asia one lived. Accordingly, these were the languages most in demand by students across the world looking to extend their linguistic repertoire beyond their mother tongue either for career or cultural/personal reasons. READ MORE

UK reintroduces two-year work rights for international students

11-September-2019 · by PRODIREKT

The UK education sector is elated that post-study work rights are set to be offered to international students for two years post-graduation, with students graduating in the 2020/21 academic year set to benefit from this new immigration rule. It was a rule that the education sector had been campaigning hard for, particularly in the last few years, since the same two-year work rights were rescinded in 2012.

According to a government statement, the new post-study work visa will be available to students who have successfully completed a degree at undergraduate level or above at a UK higher education institution which has a “proven track record” in upholding immigration checks.

There will be no cap on the number of applications.

The new immigration route will enable eligible students to work or job hunt at any skill level, and they will be able to switch to the Skilled Work route if they find a job which meets its requirements.

The UK government has posted a fact sheet on the details around the post-study work visa here

France to increase higher education students by 50% within a decade, but introduces tuition fees for non-EU students

26-November-2018 · by Verbalist

The Prime Minister of France, Edouard Philippe, has unveiled an international education strategy including a target to welcome 500,000 students by 2027, the introduction of tuition fees for non-EU students, an increase in English-taught courses, and more welcoming student visa policies.

The strategy to attract 500,000 higher education students, an increase of approximately 50 per cent within a decade, was introduced by the Prime Minister in a speech this week and is built around three pillars: welcome, fees, and overseas influence.

One of the major changes of the new strategy is the introduction of tuition fees for non-EU students from September 2019. READ MORE