US embassy in China to open student visa service on May 4; restrictions on Chinese STEM students still effective
Zhao Yusha and Xing Xiaojing Published: Apr 30, 2021 06:14 PM
Students study at a library of Columbia University in New York, the United States, on Dec. 7, 2019.Photo:Xinhua
The US embassy and consulates in China are scheduled to open visa appointments for Chinese students on May 4, after Washington announced easing of travel restrictions for foreign students.
The move is positive but no sign of improvement for China-US people-to-people exchange, Chinese analysts say, as visa restrictions for Chinese STEM students remain effective.
William Bistransky, acting consul general at the US Embassy in China, announced the visa re-opening for Chinese students during a Friday press conference. Mr. Bristransky said the embassy will gear up visa processing for those students once appointments officially re-opened, but certain details, such as anti-pandemic measures for th
US eases coronavirus restrictions on Chinese students
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Last Updated: Apr 29, 2021, 08:30 AM IST
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Synopsis
Around 372,000 Chinese accounted for 35% of international students in the United States in the 2019-20 school year, according to the International Education Exchange (IEE), nearly twice as many as the second-highest, students from India.
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The State Department said on Tuesday it continues to seek ways to process more visa applications, in line with science-based guidance from health authorities.
The Biden administration on Tuesday said it was easing restrictions on Chinese and other students travelling to the United States this fall, potentially helping colleges whose enrollments declined during the coronavirus pandemic.
Relaxation of US travel bans on students hailed archive.shine.cn - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from archive.shine.cn Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
US Allows Travel Exceptions for Students From Brazil, China, Iran, South Africa
Students, certain academics, and journalists from China, Iran, Brazil, and South Africa will be able to qualify for a National Interest Exception (NIE) and be allowed to enter the United States, the Biden administration determined on Monday.
The NIE is a designation granted for people who can demonstrate that their entry into the United States is a matter of national interest, allowing them an exception to certain travel bans such as those currently in place due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease.