Those rules were put in place during the pandemic as a means of allowing students to continue their studies even if they were unable or unwilling to travel to the US, and during a period where in-period instruction was widely suspended for at least part of the COVID emergency.

The new guidance from Homeland Security is in effect as of 11 May 2023. It provides that currently enrolled students may maintain their status in the US while studying remotely during the 2022/23 academic year and for any courses taken during the 2023 summer semester.

Any students continuing after summer 2023, however, as well as any new students applying for entry to the US from 11 May forward, will be subject to the normal limits in place on distance learning for purposes of qualifying for a US study visa.

The rule in question is and it states:

“For F-1 students enrolled in classes for credit or classroom hours, no more than the equivalent of one class or three credits per session, term, semester, trimester, or quarter may be counted toward the full course of study requirement if the class is taken on-line or through distance education and does not require the student’s physical attendance for classes, examination or other purposes integral to completion of the class.”

The net effect of this change is that new foreign students applying for a F-1 visa for the US must plan to return to in-person study, and the same will be true for continuing students as of September 2023.

The statement from DHS reminds us that the COVID-era policies were, “always intended as a temporary measure to allow students to continue their studies with the least disruptions as possible and did not signify or result in a permanent change to the regulations.” It advises as well that going forward, designated school officials at US institutions should not now “issue Forms I-20, ‘Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,’ for students in new or Initial status who are outside of the United States and plan to take classes at an educational institution certified by SEVP for a programme of study that contains online components in excess of the regulatory limits.”

For additional background, please see:

• “Full-year US visa numbers show solid gains for 2022“
• “US now allows student visa applications up to one year in advance“
• “US extends COVID guidance around online and hybrid programmes for 2022/23 academic year“

The post US announces end to “COVID-19 flexibilities” for online or hybrid study appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The provision applies as well to students whose PGWPs have already expired. IRCC explains that, “Those with expired work permits will be able to restore their status, even if they are beyond the 90-day restoration period, and will receive an interim work authorization while awaiting processing of their new work permit application.”

Students completing study programmes of eight months or more are normally eligible for PGWPs allowing for (depending on the length of the programme).

The move follows a similar extension for students with permits expiring in 2022. IRCC will open a “facilitative process” via its online services for students on 6 April 2023 in order to allow students to apply for the extension.

“Talented and skilled international graduates play a vital role in addressing Canada鈥檚 labour shortage, and those nearing the end of their PGWP are already well integrated into Canada鈥檚 labour market,” says an accompanying news release from IRCC. “The additional work permit will allow eligible applicants to continue contributing to the Canadian economy while gaining valuable work experience and preparing for the opportunity to apply for permanent residence.”

The IRCC release also makes a direct link between the opportunity to gain work experience in Canada via the PGWP and the transition to permanent residence for foreign graduates. The ministry reports that more than 157,000 foreign students gained permanent residence status in 2021 (a record high) followed by another 95,000 in 2022.

IRCC adds that, as of the end of 2022, “More than 286,000 international graduates were in Canada with a valid post-graduation work permit. About 127,000 PGWPs expire in 2023, though about 67,000 PGWP holders have already applied for permanent residence and won鈥檛 need to extend their work permit through this initiative.” Those figures would suggest that roughly 60,000 students with expiring PGWPs will be eligible for the newly announced extension.

For additional background, please see:

• “Canada鈥檚 foreign enrolment grew by more than 30% in 2022“
• “Canada removes limit on off-campus work hours for international students“
• “Canada moving to boost pathways to permanent residency for international students“

The post Canada extends expiring post-graduate work permits for thousands of international students appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The long-awaited policy change is expected to boost international student mobility, though there are some concerns about how China will react to multiple countries imposing extra precautionary steps in welcoming Chinese outbound travellers.

Reactions around the world

Around the world, governments have scrambled to react to China鈥檚 reversal of its Zero COVID policies.

On the one hand, the shift and re-opening is of course exciting. The Chinese economy had slowed drastically as a result of the government鈥檚 鈥淶ero COVID鈥� policies, Chinese people had suffered psychologically from isolation due to repeated lockdowns, and 鈥� of special relevance for our readers 鈥� student mobility had been massively curtailed while borders were closed.

On the other, the rapid lifting of COVID measures is worrisome. The virus is now spreading rapidly within China. According to China鈥檚 National Health Commission, at least a quarter of a billion people in China contracted COVID in December. While there are now reports that the virus鈥檚 spread has peaked in some cities, no one is expecting a quick end to the virus鈥檚 ability to romp through the country as testing and quarantine measures have fallen away. reports that:

鈥淎 second, possibly more punishing wave could tear through rural areas in February or March, after millions of people trek home for the Lunar New Year. Projections of the eventual fallout vary, but some models anticipate that one to two million people will die of COVID in the coming months.鈥�

Some of the first flights out of China after the abrupt relaxations of COVID rules by the government were full of the virus. Time Magazine reports that, 鈥淎mong one of the first [China to Italy] flights subjected to testing, more than a third of all its passengers tested positive for COVID-19. On another flight, half of the passengers tested positive.鈥�

More than a dozen foreign governments have adopted measures to protect their populations from COVID-infected air travellers and visitors 鈥� an uncomfortable position and task given China鈥檚 power and ongoing sensitivity to foreign governments鈥� 鈥渄iscrimination鈥� towards it and its people. That sensitivity stems from the unfortunate and often xenophobic backlash against China and Chinese abroad when COVID was first detected in March 2020 in Wuhan.

For the most part, the additional requirement for Chinese travellers is to provide proof of a negative COVID result no more than 48 hours before travelling. Countries insisting on this include many European countries (e.g., Italy, France, Spain, UK, and Germany) as well as Canada, the US, Australia, India, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Qatar, South Korea, and Taiwan.

But Japan and South Korea also announced additional measures such as limiting the number of incoming flights from China, restricting where China-originated flights can land, and restricting the number of short-term visas issued. In retaliation for these 鈥渄iscriminatory鈥� measures, China has stopped providing short-term visas to tourists from Japan and South Korea.

No more quarantine for arrivals in China

Otherwise 鈥� as of this writing 鈥� passengers arriving in China no longer have to quarantine and do not need to apply for a health code. They must, however, produce a negative PCR result no more than 48 hours before travelling to China. In addition, China is now accepting applications for the extension, renewal, and re-issuance of visas, stay permits, and residence permits.

What will impact be on international student mobility?

Experts believe that there is pent-up demand in China for study abroad, particularly given the country鈥檚 economic slowdown that took hold by the end of the Zero Covid era; a troubled economy is always a push factor for outbound mobility. Many students and families are eager to venture into the world again, and CNN reports that data from Trip.com Group shows 鈥渟earch interest for outbound flights from mainland China rose by 83% in the 11 days after the [border reopening] announcement, compared with the 14 days before it.鈥�

However, there are reports that Chinese travellers are choosing where to travel carefully 鈥� and based on how they are being received. For example, around the same time that Japan and South Korea imposed relatively stringent rules including COVID testing, 鈥淸Chinese] search interest for Thailand and Singapore grew by 176% and 93%.鈥� Thailand and Singapore require only that all travellers provide proof of vaccination 鈥� not of a negative pre-departure COVID test.

For additional background, please see:

• 鈥�Gradual reopening of Chinese border underway鈥�
• 鈥�International students鈥� frustration mounts as Chinese border remains closed鈥�

The post China鈥檚 borders open at last with easing of remaining restrictions on international travel appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Now, university students are among the crowds protesting the Chinese government鈥檚 approach to managing COVID, frustrated and angered about being forced to confine themselves for weeks or months in small spaces when officials impose a lockdown to stem an outbreak. Many have suffered from mental health issues due to prolonged isolation. Many more are incensed by events such as in the city of Urumqi in November; people linked the death toll from this disaster to firefighters allegedly being blocked by pandemic control barriers or cars left behind by people forced into quarantine.

Those who are protesting across the country are risking arrest or worse, but they feel they can no longer tolerate the extreme curbs on their freedoms.

Where things stand

Currently, the situation is dynamic. On the one hand, the government has eased restrictions in at least eight mainland cities and Hong Kong in response to the protests. On the other, Chinese top security officials stress the need for a 鈥渃rackdown鈥� on what they call 鈥�.鈥� The Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the main law enforcement body in China, says the government must 鈥渞esolutely crack down on illegal criminal acts that disrupt social order in accordance with the law and earnestly safeguard overall social stability.鈥�

In effect, protesters can see that their risk is paying off given some relaxation of restrictions, but they also know that a violent crackdown is possible in the coming days and weeks if the protests continue. There is the memory of Tiananmen Square, of course, and last week, . Multiple photos and videos showing protesters being shoved, dragged, and pushed into cars on their way to detention.

However, media reports say that so far, excessive police force appears to be happening as secretly as possible to avoid adding more fuel to the protests and anger of Chinese citizens. More visible is a major increase in police surveillance, including officers stopping pedestrians to check their phones for any evidence of support for the protests.

Student protesters at universities 鈥� including Tsingua and Peking, ranked #16 and #17, respectively, on the Times Higher Education 2023 World University Rankings 鈥� have been active. Not coincidentally, students enrolled in at least 10 universities have been sent home 鈥� though the official reason is that this is necessary to protect them from COVID outbreaks. The Associated Press reports:

鈥淏eijing鈥檚 Tsinghua University, where students protested over the weekend, and other schools in the capital and the southern province of Guangdong, sent students home. The schools said [students] were being protected from COVID-19, but dispersing them to far-flung hometowns also reduces the likelihood of more demonstrations. Chinese leaders are wary of universities, which have been hotbeds of activism including the Tiananmen protests.鈥�

CNN reports that at Peking University, student protesters painted a red message on the steps of a campus building reading:

鈥淪ay no to lockdown, yes to freedom. No to COVID test, yes to food. Open your eyes and look at the world, dynamic zero-COVID is a lie.鈥�

Photos of the message 鈥� and of a security guard holding a jacket over the words, aware the scene was being photographed 鈥� .

that at the University of Hong Kong, student protesters chanted, 鈥淲e鈥檙e not foreign forces but your classmates,鈥� referring to the government鈥檚 assertion that the protest movement is being organised by those outside China.

How will it end?

It is unclear yet how the government will resolve the challenge of the protests and the increasingly frustrated Chinese population. 鈥淶ero-COVID鈥� policies are clearly no longer working; COVID cases are rising in many parts of the country. But relaxing policies further also comes with a great risk given that (1) more COVID cases, including variants of the virus, could spread throughout China鈥檚 massive population, (2) the protests could become more widespread and generalised (there have already been calls for ).

Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, told NPR News:

“This is the typical policy dilemma that the Chinese leaders face. When you relax and open up, it will lead to chaos, and when you tighten policy, it will be too rigid to allow any flexibility.”

As reported by , William Hurst, the Chong Hua professor of Chinese development at the University of Cambridge, expressed his sense of how the protests might end through a series of tweets. He believes that it is most likely that the protests will 鈥渇izzle out鈥� rather than result in any 鈥渃oncessions or systemic change,鈥� but that the outcome is uncertain:

鈥淚f things fizzle 鈥� or even if the strands [and] repertoires become disentangled 鈥� all will return to the somewhat uneasy quotidian of a few weeks ago. If not, this could prove a critical juncture. But not one that will be easy to read in real time or with a happy ending.鈥�

For additional background, please see:

• 鈥�Gradual reopening of Chinese border underway鈥�

The post China closes some university campuses in response to COVID policy protests appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The UNTWO comments:

鈥淭he steady recovery reflects strong pent-up demand for international travel as well as the easing or lifting of travel restrictions to date (86 countries had no COVID-19 related restrictions as of 19 September 2022).鈥�

At the same time, the organisation notes that there are dampers on the recovery of global tourism 鈥� 鈥渇rom geopolitical to economic.鈥� On 4 October 2022, the UN that the world 鈥渋s on the brink of a recession鈥� due to factors such as interest rate hikes in advanced economies.

Time for a 鈥渞ethink鈥�

Now is the time to rethink tourism, says the UNTWO, given its impact on 鈥減eople and the planet.鈥� Many students would agree. A study by QS in 2019 suggested that there is demand for schools and universities to become . More than 9 in 10 students surveyed said that 鈥渦niversities could do more to reduce their own impact on the environment.鈥� In addition, more than three-quarters (79%) said they would be 鈥渕ore likely to choose a degree if the content taught them about reducing their environmental impact.鈥�

Regions leading the recovery

The greatest recovery in arrivals occurred in Europe and the Middle East, where arrivals reached 74% and 76%, respectively, of their levels in 2019. Growth in Europe was driven by travel from within the region as well as from the US.

Who鈥檚 spending the most?

In terms of source countries for tourism, tourists from France and Germany spent almost as money on travel in the first part of 2022 as in the same period in 2019 (off only -12% and -14%, respectively). Travellers from Italy and the US also picked up their expenditures on travel, spending about three-quarters as much as they were before the pandemic.

A cautious outlook

Russia鈥檚 war on Ukraine is having a major impact on the rest of the world, dragging down both advanced and emerging economies. The UNTWO elaborates:

鈥淭he economic situation, exacerbated by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, represents a major downside risk. The combination of increasing interest rates in all major economies, rising energy and food prices and the growing prospects of a global recession as indicated by the World Bank, are major threats to the recovery of international tourism through the remainder of 2022 and 2023.鈥�

That warning should resonate with educators recruiting international students, as well. Throughout the year, we have reported on students鈥� growing interest in for study abroad options that are relatively affordable. This is leading to growth in international student numbers in several countries outside the leading English-speaking destinations (e.g., Germany, France, , and Finland).

Students may also be more likely to consider online starts to their programmes, given that by staying in their own countries for part of their degree they would avoid a portion of accommodation and living costs in a destination country. Demand for this option may increase if students are provided with additional incentives, such as lower tuition or post-study work rights. An IDP study in 2021 found that significant proportions of students in 55 countries would consider an online start to studies.

Demand for purely online studies may rise as well. This is already a trend in many regions. In Japan, for example, of the 15,100 Japanese students who enrolled in foreign institutions in 2021, according to JAOS (Japan Association of Overseas Studies), just over 6,100 went abroad, while nearly 9,000 stayed in Japan to study online.

For additional background, please see:

• 鈥�Online degrees gaining new prominence because of the pandemic鈥�
• 鈥�Australian conference highlights new thinking about international education鈥�
• 鈥�International education begins to look ahead to a greener future鈥�

The post Global tourism has recovered to roughly 60% of pre-pandemic levels appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

As of 1 August 2022, all such conditions have been suspended so that:

• International travellers, including students, no longer have to complete any formalities before arriving in France, including the presentation of any health pass or proof of vaccination
• Travellers are no longer required to demonstrate that they have a compelling reason to visit France
• All testing requirements have been removed as well

“Since the beginning of the crisis, the border health control system has made it possible to protect our health system and to delay the arrival on national territory of variants with worrying characteristics,” said the Ministry. “This system, which mobilised up to 6,000 members of civil security each week to carry out the tests, border guards to check the health documents of travellers and internal security forces to control isolation or quarantine measures decided by the prefects, has been regularly adapted to changes in the health situation and community rules.”

“Faced with the new phase of the pandemic, the border health control system is lifted.”

However, the French government reserves the option to restore travel restrictions as required, under a so-called “emergency brake” provision in French law. This option currently remains in place until 31 January 2023, and, if activated, would allow the government to re-introduce travel limits for up to two months “in the event of an appearance and circulation of a new variant of covid-19 likely to constitute a serious health threat.”

France now becomes the latest major study destination to remove any remaining COVID travel restrictions, following similar moves by other leading destinations in Europe, including the UK, Ireland, Germany, and most other EU countries.

As we noted recently, driven by continuing strong demand from African sending markets, France’s foreign enrolment rebounded in 2021 to reach pre-pandemic levels. Overall, the French government issued 3% more student visas in 2021 than it did in 2019/20, the last full academic year before the onset of the pandemic.

For additional background, please see:

• “Foreign enrolment in France returns to pre-pandemic levels with 365,000 students in 2021“
• “黑料官网 Podcast: Is studying in English the only viable option?“
• “France updates travel guidance for incoming students“

The post France lifts all remaining COVID travel restrictions appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Another recent UN report, meanwhile, points out that the global economic recovery is in danger of losing momentum this year due to persistent labour market gaps, continuing supply chain issues, and rising inflation. After expanding by 5.5% in 2021, the global economy is projected to grow by only 4% in 2022 and 3.5% in 2023, says the 2022 edition of the , which was released last month.

The scale and pace of recovery in international tourism will figure prominently in real economic growth this year. “Given its importance as a major export category (prior to the pandemic tourism was the third largest in the world, after fuels and chemicals), and recognizing its role as a source of employment and economic development, the sector鈥檚 recovery is expected to drive growth in every world region,” says the UNWTO.

Those findings provide the backdrop for another recent statement from the world travel body, which, has added its voice to the growing calls 鈥� including most notably from the World Health Organization (WHO) 鈥� for . The WHO has puts its concerns about blanket restrictions on the record, most recently at its 19 January meetings in Geneva, saying that they can cause economic and social harm while also discouraging “transparent and rapid reporting of emerging Variants of Concern鈥�.

鈥淚t is imperative we restart tourism and so kickstart recovery and get back on track towards meeting the [UN Sustainable Development Goals],鈥� said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. “When it comes to stopping the spread of new virus variants, blanket travel restrictions are simply counterproductive. In fact, by cutting the lifeline of tourism, these restrictions do more harm than good, especially in destinations reliant on international tourists for jobs, economic wellbeing and sustainable change.鈥�

The WHO International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee on COVID-19, argues that all limits on international travel should be based on 鈥渞isk assessments – including testing, isolation, and vaccinations鈥�.

鈥淎s countries ease travel restrictions, health must remain the key priority. By basing their decisions on evidence and a risk-based approach adapted to their specific context, countries can find the right balance between keeping people safe, protecting livelihoods and the economy, and keeping borders open鈥�, said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

While the situation has eased in the months since, the most recent UNWTO summary, published at the end of November 2021, found that one out of five destinations had their borders completely closed at that point, and that 98% of all destinations were then maintaining some level of travel restrictions. Also at the time of that report, only four destinations worldwide 鈥� Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, and Mexico 鈥� had lifted all COVID-19-related restrictions completely.

For additional background, please see:

• “Global tourism strengthens in 2021 but still far below pre-COVID levels“
• “UNWTO and IATA launch new dashboard for COVID travel updates“

The post UN tourism body joins call against blanket travel restrictions appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Currently the entry cap is 3,500 travellers per day.

No special category for international students

While the news is 鈥� to a certain degree 鈥� encouraging, only a small proportion of the estimated 150,000 foreign students with visas to enter Japan will be able to return anytime soon, since the government will not prioritise foreign students in the new 5,000-per-day cap. They will be treated in the same way as businesspeople, technical interns, and Japanese citizens/residents. This means that it will take some time before a significant volume of foreign students will be able to resume or begin studies in Japan. Japan’s Education Minister Suematsu Shinsuke acknowledged in a press briefing that 鈥渕ore time will likely pass before all the students can enter Japan.鈥�

In terms of who will be able to enter Japan the soonest, it will be those with the earliest confirmed flight reservations rather than any particular category of traveller. Even residents of Japan will not be treated differently than other travellers.

A disappointing feature of the new border policies for international students is that the date on students’ Certificate of Eligibility 鈥� one of the documents required to obtain a study visa 鈥� will not be considered in officials鈥� determination of who is permitted to enter Japan the soonest. Back in November 2021, international students had been singled out as one of the groups that would be prioritised for entry and their Certificate of Eligibility date was to be used by immigration officials to determine when they could enter. The November plan to prioritise international students for entry was scrapped soon after because of the spread of the Omicron variant, which also led to the tightening up again of Japan鈥檚 borders.

A January 2020 survey conducted by Davide Rossi, owner of the agency GoGo World and founder of the site EducationIsNotTourism.com, found that nearly half (46%) of more than 3,000 student respondents who had wanted to study in Japan decided to switch to another country for their studies. The expansion of the arrival cap to 5,000 travellers, with no prioritisation of international students, is unlikely to encourage many students to believe they can count on beginning studies in Japan any time soon or according to any predictable time frame.

As illustrated in the chart below, international students are among the largest categories of people with valid visas who have been unable to enter Japan during the pandemic.

Rules around quarantine

Travellers who have received COVID booster shots will not be required to quarantine upon arrival if they are coming from countries that are considered to have an acceptably low number of COVID cases. If they are coming from what are deemed 鈥渉igh-risk鈥� countries in terms of their epidemiological situation, boostered travellers will need to quarantine at home for three days.

Other travellers (who have not received their booster shot) will be required to quarantine for 7 days (either at home or at an approved hotel), though a negative test on day 3 will allow them to end their self-isolation. Non-boostered travellers from high-risk countries will be required to spend the first three days of quarantine at a designated hotel.

Still too strict according to many

When announcing the slightly eased border restrictions on 17 February, Prime Minister Kishida acknowledged that his COVID policies regarding arrivals are still the strictest of the G7 countries. His decision to retain a highly cautious approach to controlling borders comes despite the World Health Organization recommending that countries .

International students are taking to Twitter with the hashtag #allentriesarethesame to protest the announcement that they will not be prioritised when borders begin to ease in Japan. Another hashtag in use is #educationisnottourism. Tourists will remain unable to enter Japan even after 1 March.

Last week, an education and science committee set up by Japan鈥檚 Liberal Democratic Party drafted a resolution calling on the government to prioritise the re-entry of international students, saying that 鈥淛apan is losing its international value鈥� as a study abroad destination.

Why aren鈥檛 border restrictions being eased further?

Prime Minister Kishida鈥檚 overall stance towards COVID 鈥� including tight restrictions 鈥� is partly due to the fact that Japan鈥檚 health system is still overburdened by Omicron cases because only public or 鈥渕ajor鈥� hospitals are able to treat COVID patients. In addition, the prime minister has been criticised for . In early February, less than 10% of the population had received their third doses of a vaccine.

For additional background, please see:

• 鈥�More international students moving on from Japan as border closures persist鈥�

The post Japan eases border restrictions but international students not prioritised for entry appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.