The pandemic has affected just about any business sector you can name.
But the impacts have varied — and that includes the world of international study.
When many global borders snapped shut in the spring of 2020, in-person learning became especially difficult for international students.
Online education quickly became the default option.
Now, some restrictions are loosening, but unevenly.
Starting next week, vaccinated travelers from Singapore — including students — can go to certain states in Australia without quarantine: New South Wales and Victoria.
Anyone signed up for South Australia’s “international students’ arrival plan” can also skip quarantine there.
In some places, the easing of the rules is broader.
Japan has included students and business travelers in the category of foreigners who will be allowed back into the country — tourists will still have to wait for a while.
China remains closed to most international students — the exception being those from South Korea — thanks to a bilateral visa agreement signed in July 2020.
Many international students are now looking to early 2022 as a possible start time for returning to the physical classroom — and finally getting offline.
