US Citizenship and Immigration Services have received sufficient petitions for the 'highly-skilled' H-1B visa to fulfil its statutory cap within five days of starting to accept applications for the second year running. The visa is a key route to post-work study for international students and is used by businesses to employ STEM graduates.

After outcry from educators about its strict post-study work laws, Sweden is set to extend the period for which international students can stay and look for work after they have graduated. The government also plans to make it easier for foreign PhD students to gain permanent residence.

Australia has eased visa requirements for students from 'high risk' countries including China, India and Pakistan, reducing the evidence requirements of English language proficiency, financial capacity and previous study.

A new "ecosystem" encompassing the student application process from inquiry to graduation has been launched by a British former private college owner who believes his idea will improve quality standards and compliance and safeguard the UK's reputation as an education destination.

Malaysia and Indonesia have signed an MoU agreement granting higher education students a two-year visa between the two countries that is renewable every two years. The changes will affect around 5,000 Malaysian students in Indonesia and 14,000 Indonesian students in Malaysia.

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'.