The Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany has announced an increase in proof of funds for international students for the 2024/2025 Academic year. For the last academic year (2023/2024) the requirement had been € 11,208 and for the new academic year 2024/2025 the requirement will be € 11,904. This represents an increase of 6% over last year’s requirement.
This follows announcements by Canada and Australia that the proof of funds required was doubled and increased by 20% respectively by the two countries. In contrast, the increase announced by Germany is marginal and will not generate the backlash that Australia and Canada are already experiencing. Enrollment in German institutions is increasing and the announced increase should have little effect on enrollment numbers.
Recently appointed Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson, has said that international students are always welcome to the UK and has affirmed that the graduate route shall continue. Appointed by the newly-elected UK government under Keith Starmer, Secretary Phillipson said “Be in no doubt: international students are welcome in the UK. This new government values their contribution – to our universities, to our communities, to our country.”
She also added: “Under this new government, opportunity is for everyone. And our international partnerships are central to this drive to spread opportunity far and wide. The more we work together, the more progress we will see in the world – partners in the push for better.”
There was another positive takeaway for international students with regard to the graduate route. Secretary Phillipson reaffirmed that the graduate route is here to stay- for now. “These people are brave. They move to a new culture, far away from their homes and their families. They take a leap of faith, hoping to develop new skills and chase new horizons. And I am enormously proud that so many want to take that leap here in the UK. And we will do everything we can to help them succeed. That’s why we offer the opportunity to remain in the UK on a graduate visa for two years after their studies end – or three for PhDs – to work, to live, and to contribute”.
These pronouncements were made at the Education Embassy Conference in London on Tuesday 23 July and have sent a positive message to both prospective international students and the international community at large. The UK has always been a popular study destination for international students and, in light of the announcements by the newly-elected Secretary, shall remain so at least for the time being.
DLIs to come under the IRCC scanner and students will have to apply for a fresh Study Permit if they change DLIs
Last year, hundreds of students (mostly from Punjab) were affected by fake admission documents provided to them by middleman Brijesh Mishra. Issued between 2017 and 2019, the fake offer letters came under the spotlight when the same students applied for resident status.
Now, IRCC has proposed that DLIs (Designated Learning Institutions) adhere to a new time-bound compliance reporting system. Earlier DLIs fell under the jurisdiction of the Provinces and Territories (PTs) in which they were located. PTs reported any non-compliance to IRCC with a recommendation to remove such DLIs from the list of DLIs. Now IRCC will assume a direct role in compliance and will, if the proposal is endorsed and enacted into law, have the authority to prevent DLIs who are non-compliant from admitting foreign students.
The new move will address three significant issues that are a threat to the integrity of the International Student Programme.
Under the current framework, IRCC does not have the authority to compel DLIs to report directly to it. IRCC does not have the means to ascertain if a student is indeed attending a DLI and neither do they have a mechanism to detect fake offer letters.
Currently, IRCC is forced to issue study permits for students even if the DLI they plan to attend is in non-compliance.
Under current regulations, students are not compelled to report changes of DLIs to IRCC.
The new proposal will empower IRCC to suspend study permits for non-compliant DLIs for up to 1 year. In addition, students changing DLIs will be forced to apply for a new study permit.
The new proposal is among a raft of changes brought about to the International Student Programme, significant among which was the international student cap earlier this year.
Denmark has announced new work rules for international on work permits. As of July 2024, students who have already obtained their work perm its and students who will do so in the future are allowed to work 90 hours per month from January to May and September to December. Students will be able to do full-time work from June to August.
In addition, foreigners who have gained a ‘resident’ status will not need to apply for a work permit as of July 2024. This means that all foreigners with a valid resident permit under the authorization scheme will now be able to work without applying for a separate work permit.
In addition, the positive lists have also been expanded. The positive list is a collection of jobs and positions in Denmark which are facing a short supply of qualified professionals. The positive list for graduates with higher education now has 141 jobs listed while the positive list for skilled workers now has 61 jobs listed.
At an interaction at the Council for Foreign Relations (CFR) US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell stated that he would like to see more STEM students from India in the US.
The US Deputy Secretary of State is the second-highest-ranking official in the Department of State after the Secretary of State. The Department of State formulates foreign policy and International Relations in the USA government and the Secretary of State is a key cabinet member in the government of the USA.
Campbell also remarked that he would like to see more Chinese students studying Arts and Humanities in the USA instead of ‘particle physics’, before adding that he would like US higher education to recruit more Indian STEM students. This has kicked up quite a controversy with Chinese media calling it ‘racist’. AIRC executive director stated that the remarks ‘reverberated across the international education world in ways he did not anticipate’ in an attempt to play down the controversy.
India is now the leading source country for US higher education having surpassed China last year. The largest proportion of Indian students are STEM students at ‘High Research Activity’ universities.
The consulate general in New York has launched a new portal to assist students in internship searches. The new portal is a dedicated platform that will link American companies to Indian students looking for internships.
The consulate general in New York serves Indian students in the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
On X, the consulate announced, “As part of the initiative to support Indian students in its jurisdiction, @IndiaNewYork has developed a platform for Indian students to find internship opportunities at companies in the US”.
The new portal offers information about internship opportunities in Law, Finance, AI, IT, Tech, Payment Technology, Aviation, Banking and Investment Banking, Pharma, and Non-profit. Other features of the new portal include a section in which students in distress are connected to attorneys and a section that links students to doctors who have agreed to assist Indian students within the Consul General’s jurisdiction.
USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) is all set to announce new rules for H1B visas in a move aimed to combat fraud and enhance national security. The new rules will set the extension fee for an H1B visa at $ 4000, as suggested by the Department of Homeland Security, severely impacting employers and professionals. The authorities are set to implement changes to the cost of L-1 visa extensions too. This visa allows companies to bring managers and executives from their foreign offices to the US. The proposed regulation would require a $4,500 fee for extending an L-1 visa.
Indian professionals will be the demographic most severely impacted by the new rules given the high numbers of Indian IT professionals who are already on this visa. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa permitting U.S. employers to temporarily hire foreign professionals for specialized roles while the L1 is a temporary non-immigrant visa that enables international companies with branches in the US and abroad to transfer specific qualified employees to their US office.
However, the Department of Homeland Security announced that the new fees will not apply to L-1 or H-1B visa extensions until a final decision is made.
The H1B extension fee hike will have immediate effects on both employers and employees, increasing the financial burden on companies and potentially discouraging them from retaining valuable foreign talent. In the long term, this change could lead to a shift in the global workforce dynamic, as companies may seek to relocate operations or hire talent in other countries with more favourable immigration policies. The increased costs could also impact the overall competitiveness of the U.S. in the global market, potentially slowing innovation and economic growth. As businesses and workers navigate this new landscape, it will be crucial to monitor and adapt to the evolving immigration policies and their broader implications.
In stark contrast to his usually hawkish views on immigration, the presumptive Republican Party nominee for the 2024 US Presidential election has stated that international students should qualify for a green card upon graduation. In an interaction on the All-In podcast, a popular show hosted by Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks, and David Friedberg, Trump categorically stated that anyone who graduated from a college even if it was a junior college and a 2-year degree should be automatically eligible for a green card.
“What I want to do and what I will do is, you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card, to be able to stay in this country, and that includes junior colleges too. Anybody graduates from a college, you go there for two years or four years, if you graduate or you get a doctorate degree from a college, you should be able to stay in this country” said Trump when one of the hosts asked him to act upon a previous statement made by Trump that he wanted to attract the ‘best of the best’ to America.
Donald Trump, known for his bold and often controversial statements, has occasionally redacted his comments or failed to act on his promises. However, he has remained consistent in his views with regard to international students and migration for skilled individuals. In the podcast, Trump also lamented the fact that many graduates of top colleges went back to their own countries, set up successful business there and became billionaires. “I know of stories where people graduated from a top college and they desperately wanted to stay here and they had a plan for a company, a concept and they can’t, and they go back to India, they go back to China, they do the same basic companies at those places and they become multi-billionaires employing thousands and thousands of people and it could have been done here”.
This has set the educational sector in the USA and the international educational sector abuzz. However, there are several hurdles to be crossed if such a policy were ever to be implemented, including Congressional approval, getting the legislation over the line, and turning the immigration regime in the USA on its head.
The new IRCC Survey for Provincial and Territorial Governments and Marc Miller’s statements point to imminent changes in the PGWP in Canada!
A new survey by IRCC for all provincial and territorial governments has hinted at the realignment of the postgraduate work permit with labour needs in the country. The survey document outlines that the aim of the upcoming reforms is to “Adjust PGWP eligibility to match labour market demands, decrease the total number of PGWP holders, and enhance the chances that international students achieve labour market results that correspond with their education and skills.”
IRCC’s survey consists of 8 questions and each of these questions is a window into IRCC’s thinking about the future of the Postgraduate Work Permit. The following are the questions:
“If PGWP eligibility were limited exclusively to occupations facing shortages and their relevant study programs, which specific occupations should be included according to the needs in your region?”
Which, if any, groups should be excluded from these changes, such as francophone students, graduate degree programs, or others? Please provide the reasoning behind your choices.
Should international students show evidence of a job offer corresponding to the occupational shortage list to retain a PGWP for more than one year?
Should additional eligibility criteria (such as language proficiency, provincial support, etc.), besides having a job offer, be applied to PGWP holders who wish to extend their permit beyond one year?
What is your opinion on implementing these labor market-based changes to PGWP eligibility for all graduates immediately upon announcement this year, instead of exempting students who are already studying in Canada at the time of implementation?
How frequently should the occupational shortage list be updated, and when should these updates be applied to students who are already in the midst of their studies?
Do the proposed changes to the PGWP align with the type of candidates you wish to retain as long-term workers in your jurisdictions?
Is your Provincial Nominee Program capable of providing a viable pathway to permanent residence for international graduates who have job offers in these critical sectors?
The survey has garnered significant attention from international educators and stakeholders, both within Canada and internationally. Question #5, in particular, has sparked intense discussions among colleagues as the survey circulated. This question implies that changes to the PGWP could be implemented immediately, affecting students who are currently enrolled or about to graduate from their programs in Canada.
There are clear signs that the policy measures recently implemented by the Canadian government, especially the enrollment cap, are significantly reducing application volumes and enrollments this year. This situation demands exceptional caution moving forward, as any additional policy changes could jeopardize one of the country’s leading export sectors and potentially place the industry in a position from which recovery could take years.
