The terms of pre-study stay for students in the USA have been increased
The press service of the US Embassy in Ukraine reports that the United States of America has increased the period of stay for foreign, including Ukrainian, students in the country before the start of academic programs.
Students who are applying for F-1, F-2, M-1, and M-2 visas for the first time can now be issued such visas 120 days before the start date of their academic program (under the old conditions, 90 days). Participants in programs for which J-1 and J-2 visas are provided may be issued such visas at any time before the start of the program itself. These changes apply to students who are applying for a visa for the first time.
Students planning to continue their studies in the United States may apply for new F or M visas at any time if they still have student status and their data in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is valid.
Let us recall that F-1 and F-2 visas are intended for students and their family members without the right to work; M-1 and M-2 visas are for vocational education and advanced training; J-1 and J-2 visas are for study under exchange programs, Work and Travel.
Britons concerned about the popularity of English
The global spread of the English language is beginning to pose a real threat to the competitiveness of British specialists in the modern world, the Guardian newspaper reports, citing a study conducted by the British Council.
The document states that as the number of people who speak English approaches two billion, the traditional linguistic advantage of United Kingdom residents is disappearing. Moreover, foreigners who have learned the language of international communication are in a more advantageous position compared to Britons, as they are able to communicate in two languages – their native language and English.
Unlike foreigners, who are learning English not as a foreign language but as an element of basic education, UK residents are skeptical about the need to learn foreign languages, believing that with their native language they can easily make themselves understood in almost any country in the world.
In this regard, the British Council recommends that the country's education authorities pay attention to the need to encourage those children and parents who undertake in-depth study of foreign languages, especially Chinese, Arabic, and Spanish, which are named in the study as the languages of the future.
The Netherlands practices simplified issuance of residence permits
According to the Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education, foreign students whose educational institutions are located in The Hague, Leiden, or Delft will receive residence permits through a faster and simplified procedure, reports TsMK "Parta"
A pilot program of the immigration and naturalization service has been launched in these cities. It involves service representatives visiting these localities and checking the files of foreign students on site. If they find the documents compliant with the rules, students only need to visit the local municipality to pick up the permit. Thus, the dossier review procedure is reduced from several months to several weeks. It remains to be hoped that it will soon be extended to the whole country.