Taiwan’s Ministry of Education announced on Aug. 11 that it would grant student visas to 13,000 international students pursuing a degree and those enrolled in Chinese-language scholarship programs in the country.
Amid a nationwide level 2 COVID-19 alert, international students have been a priority of Taiwan. The ministry’s plans were approved last week at a meeting of government agencies.
Key Takeaways:
- Taiwan’s Ministry of Education has officially announced its plans for 13,000 international students to enter the country.
- Degree students and Chinese-language scholarship program enrollees will be given priority.
- International students who are unable to travel to Taiwan yet are still supported by online education.
Minister of Education Pan Wen-Chung noted, however, that student visas will not be granted for exchange students or those enrolled in short-term language classes.
While granting student visas is a great move to strengthen the international education market, COVID-19 prevention remains the top concern of Taiwan authorities.
According to Pan, as international students enter Taiwan, authorities will intensify their comprehensive disease prevention measures and their border control regulations. The plan is to have the involvement of key ministries and agencies, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Mainland Affairs Council, and the National Immigration Agency.
Pan added that they would handle the situation in a way that upholds and protects the interests of the international students while not steering away from the need to ensure the health and safety of the general public.
The Ministry of Education has retained the order in which different classes of students receive their visas. Students who are eligible for the visa have already been contacted by their respective schools and informed of their acceptance.
The Ministry of Education has also established a special program to extend support to international students who are unable to travel to Taiwan because of the public health situation in their home country. The program would include online learning and other content delivery strategies.
Pan also suggested that schools with students who cannot travel to Taiwan before the commencement of classes follow protocols imposed last year. These include maintaining students’ enrollment status and other relevant measures to protect international students’ interests and rights.
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