PHOTO: HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Why do international students in the US benefit?

Starting January 17, international students will have more opportunities to apply for H-1B visas than before thanks to new regulations from the current President Joe Biden's administration. Specifically, previously international students only had a few months to transition from an F-1 student visa to an H-1B work visa, otherwise they would have to leave the US. Now, the waiting period will be extended by 6 months, according to the US Department of Homeland Security.

This helps create more opportunities for international students who have just graduated or completed Optional Practical Training (OPT) to stay in the US to continue working without interruption.

In addition, the new rule also allows employers to apply for H-1B visas for employees at any time of the year, instead of only on October 1 as before. At the same time, the new rule also allows non-profit or government-affiliated research organizations to increase their chances of applying for H-1B visas for foreign scientists, Study Travel analyzed.

The H-1B is a visa that allows applicants to stay and work in the United States for a certain period of time, for foreigners with specialized skills in certain occupations. This is one of the most competitive visas in the US immigration system, with 85,000 visas issued out of 400,000 applications in 2024. Tesla, Google, Amazon are the leading businesses sponsoring H-1B visas, The PIE News reported.

Earlier in December 2024, the US State Department removed the requirement for J-1 visa holders from 37 countries to return home for at least two years, making it easier for this group to stay in the US through other immigration pathways. However, this rule does not apply to everyone because if they participate in a government-sponsored program (such as a Fulbright scholarship) or a postgraduate medical training program, the candidate is still required to return home for two years.

Australia officially has 44 universities.

Australian media also recently reported that the Australian College of Theology (ACT) will be registered in the "Australian University" category of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), officially becoming the country's 44th university. This is an "uphill battle" due to the lengthy and costly appeal process with TEQSA, The Koala News commented.

Currently, ACT has 3% international students. The school offers courses in theology, ministry and Christian studies. In 2022, the school had 2,734 students, of which 69 were international students. And according to Directive 111 issued by the Australian government, the school is expected to recruit 15 new international students in 2025.

Excluding the ACT, Australia has 43 government-recognized universities, including 40 public universities, 2 international universities and 1 private university.

Regarding study abroad opportunities, an emerging study abroad country, Malaysia, announced on January 9 that it will implement a new common system to simplify admission for international students. The information was given by Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir, Minister of Higher Education of Malaysia, in a speech at the University of Technology Malaysia and is considered one of the 10 focuses in higher education that Malaysia is aiming for in 2025, according to the Malay Mall newspaper.

“The system will use advanced algorithms and blockchain technology to instantly verify the degrees and certificates submitted by international students,” Zambry said, adding that it will also work with the applicant’s home country to ensure a smooth and secure admission process. At the same time, he said, the long-running admissions process can be made more efficient.