Post-pandemic, most schools offering from undergraduate to graduate programs have loosened their study abroad policies to attract more international students, which in turn caused some negative implications such as housing shortage, sham marriage, or illegal immigration along with positives.
Therefore, it is crucial to update ourselves with the latest changes regarding study-abroad policies in 2024. Let’s find out in this article!
Australia
Starting from October 1, 2023, individuals applying for an Australian student visa will be required to demonstrate that they possess at least AUD 24.505 in savings to cover their yearly living expenses, which is higher than the 2019 old policy: AUD 21.041. Additionally, the Pandemic Event visa will officially come to an end in February 2024, and only current holders of the Pandemic Event visa will be allowed to apply for it from September 2, 2023.
Regarding the new English language proficiency requirements, announced the Australian Government in its Migration Strategy “In early 2024, the Government will increase English language requirements for the Student and Temporary Graduate visas:
the test score required for a Temporary Graduate visa will increase from an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score (or equivalent) of 6.0 to 6.5
the test score required for a Student visa will increase from IELTS (or equivalent) 5.5 to 6.0 - the test score required for students undertaking an English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) before their main course of study will increase from IELTS (or equivalent) 4.5 to 5.0
the test score required for students undertaking university foundation or pathway programs that deliver reputable English language training will be IELTS (or equivalent) 5.5.”
Besides, a fresh assessment, called the Genuine Student test, will be implemented for international students, replacing the previous Genuine Temporary Entrant test with stricter “high-risk scrutiny” in early 2024. This nation also reduces the duration of post-graduation work rights for master's degree programs by coursework to 2 years and PhD students will reduce from four to three years.
Canada
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has declared that Canadian colleges and universities must verify each applicant's acceptance letter with IRCC directly, which will “aim to protect prospective students from letter‑of‑acceptance fraud and to help them avoid similar problems that some students faced earlier this year as a result of fraud investigations”.
In addition, due to the surge number of international student arrivals exceeding 800.000 cases last year which resulted in housing crisis and rent hikes, Canada advises schools to only issue acceptance letters if they are able to provide housing for international students, and permits students to work part-time without restrictions until April 30, 2024.
Another major change is evidence of financial capacity. After January 1, 2024, considering a current announcement from Marc Miller - Canada's immigration minister, potential international students will be required to prove that they have access to USD 20.635, instead of the previous requirement of USD 10.000 that has been in effect for twenty years. This is in addition to covering the costs of travel and tuition.
The United Kingdom
The recent changes in UK student visa rules have two key takeaways: first, forbid international students from transitioning to work visas prior to finishing their training program; second, international students enrolled in a PhD, other type of doctoral program, or research-based higher degree will still be allowed to bring their dependents to the UK after January 1, 2024 while other programs are ineligible.
For Skilled Worker Visa, the required minimum salary for sponsorship will increase from £26.200 to £38.700, except for those applying for the Health and Care Worker visa, which covers social care, and education workers on national pay scales. However, the British Government also said to scrutinize post-graduation Work visas, and it is probable that the duration of the post-graduation work visa will be shortened from up to 3 years to just 6 months.
Also in 2024, universities in South Korea and China are going to introduce a variety of new admission guidelines. For example, South Korean schools will no longer mandate that international students submit essays or study plans, and will also ease their foreign language requirements (mostly Korean and English). On the other side of the spectrum, in China, many institutions will begin to require candidates to demonstrate their financial status and obtain a level 4 or higher Chinese language certificate.
