The New Zealand government has announced that international students will be able to enter the country from April 2022.
A five-step plan was announced on 3 February outlining the country’s strategy for a border reopening, with New Zealand citizens living abroad, highly skilled workers and travellers on working holiday schemes prioritised in the first three stages.
The US government has expanded the list of subjects within the STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme to allow graduates within certain subject areas to stay and work in the US for up to three years, instead of just one.
Australia has introduced another measure to make it a more attractive destination for international students. Any student visa holder who is not in Australia and travels to the country between 19 January and 19 March 2022 will be eligible for a refund on their visa application charge (VAC).
The refund will also be applicable to new student visa applicants. The government has stated that applications "will be processed quickly so applicants can come to Australia during the refund window".
All international students in Australia will soon be allowed to work more than 20 hours per week (40 hours a fortnight) without compromising the conditions of their student visa.
This temporary change has been made to help plug the shortage of workers that Australia is currently facing as more and more people are having to isolate amid an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases.
The 40-hour limit was previously lifted in May 2021 for any students working in the hospitality and tourism sector.
The 2022-2023 application cycle for the Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Programme is now open until 31 March 2022.
The Aga Khan Foundation provides a limited number of scholarships for students from select developing countries to pursue a postgraduate education.
From 15 December 2021, fully vaccinated students will be able to enter Australia without a special permit.
This is a welcome announcement for international students who have been campaigning to return to Australia to resume their studies in-person for the past 18 months.
To be eligible, students must have tested negative for Covid-19 in the three days prior to travelling and must be fully vaccinated with one of the vaccines that have been approved by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration. Students must also self-isolate for three days upon arrival.
The Australian government has made the decision to delay its border reopening from the original date of 1 December to 15 December 2021.
The last-minute change was made amid growing concern around the Covid-19 Omicron variant. The initial plan was that international students would no longer need special permission to enter the country. This change has now been pushed back to 15 December.
Google has now opened up applications for its 2022 scholarships for international students.
A variety of different scholarships are available for different student groups and in a selection of countries and regions around the world.
Most students will be required to submit an online application and to supply a range of supporting materials.
Prospective international students considering studying in the US would be more likely to apply to a university if it mandated Covid-19 passports to attend, research by THE Student has found.
In a survey of 440 prospective international students conducted by the THE consultancy team, 44 per cent of respondents stated that they would be much more likely to attend and 15 per cent said they would be somewhat more likely to attend a university if it mandated Covid-19 passports.
Students looking to take the IELTS Academic test will be able to take it online from early 2022.
IELTS Online will allow students to take their IELTS English language tests in their own home or in their chosen location.