Canada has announced that its Student Direct Stream initiative supporting faster visa processing will be extended to seven countries across the Caribbean and Central and South America, including Brazil and Colombia.

Brazil's language travel and exchange association Belta announced a new board in May, inaugurating TravelMate director Alexandre Argenta as its president.

The Brazilian agent association has revamped its branding and marketing material and unveiled a social media influencer as an ambassador.

Quality English has launched e-Missions, an eco-friendly service for educators to meet agent partners through an online platform.

Canada, Germany and Ireland are the three key markets that will see rises in demand in the future, agents reported at the ICEF Berlin conference with friendly policies for international students drawing interest. However, visa approval issues are a concern for many.

Despite economic crisis and political instability in Brazil, the number of Brazilian language students abroad increased 20% in 2018, agencies report.

Jair Bolsonaro's election as Brazil’s president is seen as a boost for the nation's ELT industry, stakeholders told The PIE News. The far-right former military captain is expected to stabilise exchange rates and attract international investment, in turn attracting students. 

ICEF has celebrated its tenth year of agent workshops in Latin America with a two-day event in Brazil attracting agents and institutions.