Moving Forward,
One Step at a Time

Hi everyone,
As we saw last month, many places like the US and UK are opening back up to international students. In the US especially, universities are optimistic about resuming in-person classes this coming August, international students included. However, this isn’t quite so straightforward as visa offices deal with student visa backlogs and COVID-related delays.

Slow Changes

While Biden removed most Trump-era visa restrictions, many international students are still facing serious delays in their visa applications. Not only is there already a backlog of student visa applications, but many students are struggling to comply with visa requirements that rely on institutions still impacted by COVID. For example, many embassies in places like India and China are either closed or have limited hours, making it difficult for students to conduct their in-person visa interviews. Furthermore, Chinese students in certain sectors such as technology and engineering are still facing additional visa restrictions.These restrictions were signed in by Trump and many believed that they would be overturned with the swearing in of a new President. Unfortunately, as more and more time passes, it’s becoming increasingly unlikely that these restrictions will be overturned.

Strong Hopes

Despite all of the difficulties that have built up over the last few years, the overwhelming majority of Chinese students who were previously planning on studying abroad have not given up. The desire to study abroad is still strong and international education is likely to bounce back from the dips we’ve seen over the last year. However, countries like the US should take note: with competition among universities around the world higher than ever, restrictive visas will likely drive students elsewhere. Countries like the UK have seen a huge surge in Chinese applicants who were originally hoping to study in the US. If the US doesn’t properly address the barriers international students have to overcome to attend US institutions then it’s likely that this trend will continue. 

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