Study Abroad News & Alerts

Recently, a report showed that the number of dependent visa applications submitted to the immigration department of the UK have decreased drastically because of the recent changes made by the government. Now in a similar report, it has been revealed that the number of student visa applications received by the government of the UK have also decreased as compared to the previous years. Student visa applications have decreased by 79.5% in the first quarter of 2024. In order to tackle the problem of over immigration in the UK, the government introduced a lot of new policies, such as not giving dependent visas to family members of students studying in the UK. In 2023, a total of 175,338 student visas were granted to international students. This was a 700% increase as compared to 2019.

IIT Madras, which is one of the top technical institutes of the country is inviting candidates to apply for its masters in technology program being offered in e-mobility specialisation. The deadline to apply for the same is 26th May, 2024. It is a very unique course that is extremely relevant for students who want to pursue a career in the computing industry. The Department of Engineering and Design of the institute will be looking after the proper knowledge dissemination. The programme will be divided into three different terms and the syllabus will revolve around computational physics and mathematics. interested students can directly visit the official website of IIT Madras to register themselves and to know more details about eligibility criteria.

The NEET UG is going to be organised on 5th May, 2024 and this year 24,00,000 students have registered for the same. Through this exam, students are able to get into the top medical universities of the country. The examination is going to be three hours and twenty minutes long. Here are some important tips that all students must remember.

• Students are advised not to indulge in any kind of malpractices such as copying answers from someone else, or carrying any electronic gadgets into the examination hall. This will lead to immediate suspension of the exam.
• Before the examination, each and every student must have a proper meal so that they do not feel hungry during the examination as it's going to be quite lengthy.
• All students must make sure that they reach the examination centre 30 minutes before the reaching time so that there is no chances of delay.
• Candidates should not write anything on that question paper and only right on the answer sheets.

Currently, there are approximately 42,578 international students from India studying in Germany. The German embassy in New Delhi recently revealed this data. This makes Indian students the largest community of international students and German campuses. The number is likely to surpass the 45,000 marks in the upcoming month. Previously Chinese students were the largest group of international students in Germany but now Indian students have overtaken them. The number of international students studying in Germany from India has doubled in the last five years. The major attraction for students to study in Germany is based on the fact that the tuition fees are really low or negligible and the quality of education is quite high. 

Currently, there are approximately 42,578 international students from India studying in Germany. The German embassy in New Delhi recently revealed this data. This makes Indian students the largest community of international students and German campuses. The number is likely to surpass the 45,000 marks in the upcoming month. Previously Chinese students were the largest group of international students in Germany but now Indian students have overtaken them. The number of international students studying in Germany from India has doubled in the last five years. The major attraction for students to study in Germany is based on the fact that the tuition fees are really low or negligible and the quality of education is quite high. 

The faculty of humanities and social sciences of the University of Strathclyde international students under which 50% of the total tuition fees will be covered. However, students who have already received a full-time offer from the university for September intake have the eligibility to apply for the scholarship. The deadline for the university is 31st July, 2024. The scholarship is going to pay the tuition fee for one year. Students exhibiting an exceptional academic performance will be selected for the scholarship. Another requirement for selection is the ability to contribute something substantial to the Strathclyde community during their years at the university. For more information, candidates can check the website of University of Strathclyde.

This year 13.5 lakh students out of the total applicants are from Delhi. This is a little less than previous year where more than 15 lakh students from Delhi registered for CUET UG. However, Delhi is still on the top of the list in terms of most number of candidates registered for the exam. Followed by Delhi is Noida and Greater Noida. The CUET UG will be conducted between 15th May to 31st May. This is going to be the third edition of the exam and it is currently the second largest entrance exam in India. Other than these cities, city's like Ranchi in Jharkhand, Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, and Gurugram in Haryana are also among the top cities from where candidates have registered in substantial numbers.

Jawaharlal Nehru University has started the process of admissions in postgraduate courses. The admission process started on 1st May and will conclude on 27th May. Candidates are going to be selected on the basis of their marks in CUET. The university offers various specialisations like Masters in computer science, Masters in arts, and many other degrees. It is compulsory for the candidate who has scored at least 50% in their bachelors degree. The CUET school should also be valid. To register themselves, candidates can visit the official website of JNU and fill in all the essential information. The application process will be finalised only after a candidate has successfully paid their registration fee.

The Ministry of Education in India has issued a latest notification for Indian students who want to study abroad. The notification says that the government of Romania is offering a lot of scholarships to Indian students who would like to study in Romania for their higher education. The scholarship will be given to students in their bachelors, masters and research degree programmes. The deadline to submit the application form for the same is 26th May, 2024. The only condition for the same is the fact that students applying for the scholarship will have to study their degrees in Romanian language. The scholarship is going to cover the tuition fee, the accommodation fee and the enrolment fee as well. For more information, students can check the official website of the Ministry of Education.

Last year in August, the Canadian government made a significant change when it removed the mandate for international students to submit the scores of IELTS when they were applying in the SDS category. Students would submit results from any other alternative. English exams prove their proficiency. This included the PTE , TOEFL as well as CAEL. Now the Canadian government has announced a similar rule for PR applications being submitted under the non- express entry process. Candidates applying for a PR through the non-express system will not have to submit any proof of their English proficiency. The non-express entry under the provincial nominee program has been started by the Canadian government to give control to provinces over the immigration policies. It allows different provinces of Canada to decide who the correct immigrant is and whether they should be given a PR or not.

IIT Madras, which is one of the top institutes in the country is inviting candidates for a four year, bachelors of science degree of food in data science specialisation. Candidates can register for the same till 26th May, 2024. Till now the course has helped more than 2500 students secure jobs in different fields. To take admission in the programme, a candidate must have passed their 12th in science stream. It is compulsory for all the applicants to have studied mathematics in English at least till class 10th. The program doesn't have any age restriction. For female students having an annual income below five lakh, there is no tuition fee. For male students having an annual income below one lakh, there is no tuition fee as well. 

Recently, the Times higher education has released its Asian University rankings and just one Institute from India, the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru has made it to the top hundred list. Last year there were four universities from India, in the same list. In the top 10 universities, four universities are from China. None of the IITs have been able to secure even a place in the top 150 universities of Asia. IIT Dhanbad has been given the top ranking among all IITs,  getting the 152nd position. Anna University has got 119th ranking while Mahatma Gandhi University has got 134th ranking. Jamia Millia Islamia has got 148th ranking. 

Amidst the current international student cap that Canada has imposed, a new decision has been introduced by the Immigration Department of Canada. Indian students will now face a weekly working out limit. All international students will be allowed to work only 24 hours a week. Any student found working beyond the legal working hours will have to face legal ramifications, which may even include deportation. Previously students were allowed to work more than 20 hours every week but this policy has now come to an end. 

This has been done to make sure that all international students who come to Canada on a student visa focus primarily on studying and not earning money. The quality of education in Canadian universities is severely impacted as a lot of international students come to the country with the purpose of working part time while on a student visa.

After the latest crackdown policy introduced by the government of the UK, there has been a significant decline in the number of dependent visas granted by the country. The number has fallen down by 80% with less than 26,000 applicants applying for a dependent visa. A few days ago, the government of the UK introduced a new policy where international students could no longer bring family members while they were studying on a student visa in the country themselves. 

The number of dependents coming to the UK every year was too high and was causing shortage of accommodation and even part-time jobs. This was leading to an unrealistic hike in the rent rates which was causing problems, not just for international students but for natives as well. Currently all students except students pursuing a research degree or some specific courses are not allowed to bring dependents.

Deakin University which is one of the most prestigious universities in Australia is inviting international students to apply for its Vice Chancellor’ scholarship. This marks the 11th year that the university will offer the scholarship to distinguished students from India and some other countries. 

This life changing initiative by the university aims to select leaders and students with vision from different parts of the world to provide them top quality education which is fully sponsored by the university. 10 students were selected under the scholarship for a full fee waiver, each of which is worth INR 6 million. The scholarship is eligible for students enrolling in both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Students selected under the scholarship will also have a great opportunity to become a part of one of the most robust networks of professionals and academics from around the world.

Deakin University which is one of the most prestigious universities in Australia is inviting international students to apply for its Vice Chancellor’ scholarship. This marks the 11th year that the university will offer the scholarship to distinguished students from India and some other countries. 

This life changing initiative by the university aims to select leaders and students with vision from different parts of the world to provide them top quality education which is fully sponsored by the university. 10 students were selected under the scholarship for a full fee waiver, each of which is worth INR 6 million. The scholarship is eligible for students enrolling in both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Students selected under the scholarship will also have a great opportunity to become a part of one of the most robust networks of professionals and academics from around the world.

Joining the bandwagon, IIT Delhi has recently introduced a new MBA programme. This MBA program is going to be an executive course that is going to be conducted in the hybrid mode. It is specifically meant for working professionals who want to pursue a management degree while working full time. Applicants can register for the same till 31st May, 2024. To register for the same, students will have to pay a registration fee of INR 2500.

This two year degree is going to help working professionals, augment their skills, experience and knowledge. As per the eligibility criteria, candidates need to have at least 60% in their bachelors degree. There is a 5% relaxation of marks for students belonging to minority sections of the country. Also the candidate must have at least three years of working experience. Candidates who register for the admission will have to go through an entrance exam scheduled on 9th June, 2024. Followed by the written exam will be a personal interview after which shortlisted candidates will get the opportunity to take a seat.

Among the growing caps on student visas by the top study abroad destinations, the US consulate has said that they are not looking forward to imposing any restrictions on the number of student visas offered to international students in 2024. The US ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti has commented that the US consulate is trying its best to speed up the visa application process in India as much as they can. He has further said that the President of the US, Joe Biden has told all the officials in the US consulate to work on the visa waiting time faced by students. So Indians who are expecting to move to the US this year can expect a rise in the number of student visas granted to Indian students. The mission of the US government this year is to allow more and more Indian students to study in the US.

Recently, the Australian government has modified the criteria required to study in Australia for Indian and Nepali students. This includes an increase in the minimum requirement for English proficiency, augmented financial requirements, and the genuine intention to study a full time course in the country and not work excessively. Now students will require a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 bands to get a student visa from Australia. Now in a recent statement, Deccan University has said that they have made changes in their admission requirements as per the new genuine students standards released by Australia. Many universities have still not made changes which is why they're accepting the applications of many students who will further get rejected during the visa process. This is wasting a lot of time for international students.

UGC NET 2024 June session, which was scheduled on 16th June has been postponed to 18th June , because of clashes with UPSC CSE. In its recent notice, NTA has specified these changes as both of the exams were falling on the same dates. There are many candidates who will be giving both these exams this year which will create a problem for them. Towards this clash, the examination date for UGC NET has been pushed a couple of days further. From this year onwards, the UGC NET for all 83 subjects will be conducted in pen and paper mode. This will be a departure from the conventional CBT mode. The decision has been taken keeping in mind the lack of computer lab centres in India to conduct the exam timely. By eradicating this condition, and imposing pen and paper mode, UGC will be able to complete the examination timely.