Study Abroad: Many countries recently updated international students' policies; Know Details

As the study abroad trend is catching up among young students who value global exposure and business networking, international visa policies of various countries are also changing. Here is the list of countries which recently changed their visa policies.

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Recently, many countries have updated their visa policies for international students which can significantly impact the plans of Indian students looking to study abroad. In some cases, these changes have been made to curb the number of international students applying to their countries and in others, policies were changed to attract more international students.

Countries which updated immigration and visa policies for international students

Following are the countries which made changes to the immigration or visa policies.

Australia: It is at the top of the list as this country made the most changes. They stopped visa hopping on July 1, 2024. Now, temporary visa holders such as visitors, Maritime Crew visas and Temporary Graduate will not be able to apply for the student visa from within Australia. The Australian student visa application fees have been increased significantly from A$710 to A$1,600. The minimum savings requirement for student visas has also increased from $24,505 to $29,710. All these changes can significantly affect the Indian students looking to study abroad.

Germany: The country has made changes to attract more international students to their countries, especially in Healthcare, IT and Engineering sectors. The country is facing labour shortages and needs around 400,000 skilled employees annually to address this issue. They also introduced the Opportunity Card to allow non-EU citizens to come to Germany for a year for searching jobs. To get the card, the applicants must have a minimum of two years of vocational training or relevant degree with proficiency in English and German language.

Europe: The European Union also updated its visa rules. Under the updated rules, Indian students can now apply for multiple-entry Schengen visas with longer validity. For Indian nationals, the country follows 'cascade' regime which offers easier access to multi-year visas.

Italy: The country opened the digital nomad visa recently through which non-EU remote can visit and work in Italy for one year which is more than the earlier 90-day stay limit. It is especially beneficial for remote workers and self-employed freelancers as they can apply for remote jobs and earn a decent amount of money provided they meet the criteria have valid health insurance, documented accommodation and should have no recent criminal record.

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