Immigration

Overseas students who enrol on short-term courses in the UK will have to pay for NHS services including emergency treatment the Department of Health recently announced. Students on courses longer than six months will be exempt from the additional fees, but will instead pay a £150 annual health levy as part of their student visa, entitling them to use NHS services as residents.

Senior political, academic and business figures have called for Sweden to relax its strict post-study visa, which requires students and researchers at Swedish universities to leave the country just 10 days after completion of their studies. They claim Sweden's tough visa regulations make it "the worst in the entire EU".

Scotland has announced plans to re-introduce the post-study work visa enabling international students to work in the UK for two years post-graduation, should it become independent from the UK. The proposal is included in a white paper outlining plans for Scottish independence, 'Scotland's Future'.

The UK's hard line on lowering net migration targets and restricting post-study work rights threatens its position as the second most popular study destination according to a report published today by the Institute for Public Policy Research. It calls for the government to extend work rights and increase the number of students studying in pathway settings.

A survey of more than 1,500 international students in Canada shows that 80% had only applied to Canadian institutions for study, a jump from 45% last year. This is taken from CBIE's report on the state of the sector, published this week. It also shows that enrolments were unaffected by the six-month Foreign Service Officer strike earlier this year.

International students in the United States and their families supported 313,000 jobs and contributed US$24 billion to the economy in the 2012-2013 academic year according to the latest estimates by NAFSA. For every seven international students enrolled, three US jobs are created or supported by spending in tuition and living costs.

Making good on campaign promises to prioritise international education, Australia's Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Scott Morrison and Minister for Education Christopher Pyne have announced that the government will extend streamlined visa processing (SVP) to 22 undisclosed private education providers. Other measures are also being reviewed.

While the Australian sector was pleased to hear new Minister Christopher Pyne speaking of the "tremendous zeal" for rebuilding the international education sector, the CEO of peak body ACPET has drawn attention to rumours that only 20 of 90 eligible providers beyond universities may benefit from Streamlined Visa Processing (SVP).

Less than a month after Australia's newly elected coalition government has taken power, party leaders have wasted no time in prioritising international education marketing, reducing regulatory red tape and reviewing post-study work policies.

New immigration rules announced this month by Immigration Minister Mark Harper could boost the English language industry by up to £9 million, based on estimates of potential business that had been turned away by a cross-section of English UK members. Almost half of members surveyed estimated they were losing between 10 and 70% of business due to the previous visa rule.

In significant news for the English language teaching industry in the UK, Immigration Minister Mark Harper has announced that short-term language study would soon be permissible for those entering the country on a business or tourism visa. The sector is delighted that visitors will soon be able to study on the same visa for up to six weeks.

A snapshot of New Zealand's international education sector from January to April of this year shows overall enrolments declined by 3% due to a significant 10% drop in private training establishment (PTE) numbers. The high value of the New Zealand dollar, increased investment in domestic education in key source markets and competition from top English speaking destinations continue to afflict the industry.

Education providers in Canada have been forced to extend start dates and even defer admissions until January as foreign service strikes stretch into their fourth month and continue to disrupt student visa processing. In addition to student welfare, universities and secondary schools are concerned delays could affect them financially and push students to competing destinations.

Malaysia's controversial government-backed Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) has announced a streamlined visa processing system for foreign students applying to foreign branch campuses and private institutions. The move comes after severe growing pains since EMGS was launched as a one-stop centre for foreign student visa processing in February.

An International Post-Graduates (IPG) pilot visa scheme is to become a permanent category of British Columbia's Provincial Nominee Program, it was announced this month. The project aims to attract and retain highly skilled international postgraduates in the science and technology fields by enabling them to apply for permanent residence in Canada.