International student visa applications down by 40%
14 January 2021 2021-01-14 7:01International student visa applications down by 40%
Germany’s federal government has confirmed that the coronavirus crisis has had a considerable impact on academic mobility.
Responding to a demand for information made in parliament by the opposition Green Party in March, the government revealed that there had been a sharp fall in the number of visa applications submitted by international students and researchers.
Processing abroad of applications for stays in Germany can now take up to one year, parliament was also told.
From 2019 to 2020, the number of visa applications for international students and researchers fell by almost 40%. In 2019, a total of 78,985 visa applications were processed, with 70,672 visas being granted. The corresponding figures for 2020 were just 49,073 and 43,207 respectively.
Pre pandemic Germany had nearly 400,000 international students studying at its universities, according to Studying in Germany.
Thirty-one out of 173 German diplomatic missions abroad are either granting no visas at all or are only doing so in a very restricted manner. In the same period, the overall number of international first-year students fell from 32,229 to 22,830.
The federal government explains that the spread of the virus has led to a sometimes considerable reduction of staff capacities for handling visa applications at the consulates abroad, resulting in longer waiting periods for applicants.
Many visa offices have had to restrict public hours and take measures to protect visitors as well as staff. Additionally, operations are sometimes constrained by measures, including lockdowns, taken by authorities in the respective countries.
Related Posts
Autism rates have increased and show differences in ethnic minorities
Around one in 57 (1.76%) children in the UK is on the autistic spectrum, significantly higher than previously reported, according to a study of more than seven million children
Most students say their mental health suffered in pandemic
On average 56% of university students worldwide said their mental health suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, in a survey of about 17,000 students in 21 countries that was conducted for Chegg.org, an educational technology and textbook rental firm in the United States.
Most students pleased with their digital learning
Both higher education and further education students surveyed noted the huge benefits of flexible learning, with lecture recordings proving helpful for note-taking and scheduling learning around other aspects of life. Some students enjoy the comfort and convenience of studying at home, as well as feeling more in control.
Gender inequality in higher education persists
Recent research has provided evidence that the gender gap in higher education has declined very little in recent decades and closely matches the continued gender inequality in the labour market.
Latest Graduate Events
Your future is in >>>>>
