Strict Visa Regulations That Students Must Know Before Applying for Visa to USA, UK, Australia and Canada

As the dynamics of higher education change around the world, so do student visa guidelines. Since most students apply for scholarships to study in other countries, it is important to stay up to date with new visa regulations and procedures.

Many countries that attract international students, such as the UK, Canada, Australia, and the US, have recently made many changes to their visa systems. This moderation is intended to protect the sanctity of their education systems while accommodating international students.

Before students apply for a student visa to a particular country, they need to know many things as they are covered by the new visa reforms:

United Kingdom

From January 2024, the UK will have stricter rules for student visas:

● Dependent visas:

With the exception of PhD and postgraduate students, dependent person visas are no longer granted to other categories of international students.

● Work visas:

International students can now only apply for a work visa once they have completed their programme and secured a job with a start date after completing their course. There is some positive news for Indian students. In May, it was confirmed that the duration of the UK graduate visa will not change until the UK Parliament is out of session. This means that the graduate visa remains unaffected for the foreseeable future, allowing international students (excluding PhD and postgraduate students) to work in the UK for two years after completing their studies. PhD and postgraduate students can work for up to three years.

The Migration Advisory Committee also drew attention to some practices of recruitment agents for international students. As a result, the UK government has developed strict compliance rules for educational institutions in relation to these agents. In addition, the TOEFL iBT score is recognised by all UK universities.

Canada

Canada has made significant changes to its student visa regulations for 2024:

● Inlet cap: There is currently a limit on applications for permits to study abroad.

● Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL): Undergraduate students must apply for a study permit in the province or territory in which they are applying for a PAL.

● Work permits open: Currently, they are only available to spouses of foreign students who have completed master’s, doctoral and professional studies.

● Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC): The required GIC amount to cover living expenses has increased from C$10,000 to C$20,635.

These changes may limit the number of Indian students pursuing undergraduate studies in Canada, but will benefit those who opt for masters, doctorates and professional studies as they can now obtain a three-year work permit after completing their studies.

In addition, IRCC recently approved four new language tests, TOEFL iBT for SDS candidates. The SDS route has a higher visa approval rate and therefore guarantees visa decisions within three weeks.

Australia

Australia is introducing stricter rules for international students. Some key changes include:

● True Student (GS) Requirements: To meet this requirement, students are now required to attend classes on a mandatory basis.

● Increased financial requirements: Students must provide proof of savings of AUD 29,710 (approx. ₹16.3 lakh) to meet living expenses during studies.

● Working hours limits: International students can work up to 48 hours per fortnight during semesters and half-terms. In addition, the Australian government has also increased the new application rates for prospective students from 1 July 2024 for student visas. Applicants will also be charged an application fee of AUD 1,600, up from AUD 710, a 125% increase. The bright news is that the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has resumed accepting TOEFL tests conducted at a testing centre for all visa applications from 5 May 2024, after the department suspended them in July last year due to some ongoing reviews.

United States

The United States has also made significant updates affecting international students:

● Authenticity of document: The U.S. Embassy advises students against bringing false documents to the interview.

● Job opportunities: In the US, there is a system known as OPT that allows international students to work for up to three years after completing their course. Indian students like OPT because it offers a chance to gain work experience all over the world.

● Visa Processing: The US Consular Team in India is making significant efforts to reduce the waiting time for student visas. The Team expects an increase in student visa applications in 2024, after issuing a record 130,000 student visas in 2023.

The latest SEVIS data reveals that over 350,000 Indian students are currently studying in US colleges, making India a major source of international students, accounting for almost 30% of the total number of international students.

In 2023, for the first time in the 80-year history of the GRE test, India overtook the US in terms of the number of people taking the GRE test, although the desire to study in the US remains high among Indian students.

Increasingly popular study destinations abroad Countries such as France, Germany, the European Union and Ireland are becoming more and more attractive to foreign students due to:

● Strong public higher education systems: The above-mentioned countries have solid education systems.

● Programs taught in English: English is used more widely in curricula today than ever before.

● Lower cost of living: When it comes to living costs, they are much lower in these countries compared to other conventional study destinations.

(Author Vaibhav Gupta is Co-Founder & CMO of iSchoolConnect. The views expressed here are personal.)