Stories
Italy Joins Canada, US, Australia in Tightening Foreign Student Rules; Burqa Ban in Schools
- •Italy to strictly enforce a 30% cap on foreign students in schools, applying to those studying for less than three years, following an 'Italy First' approach by PM Giorgia Meloni.
- •A ban on wearing burqa or niqab in Italian schools is also being implemented.
- •Australia has tightened visa rules, preventing students from bringing family/partners and cracking down on 'course-hopping' to control migration amid a housing crisis.
- •The US faces increased uncertainty for student visas due to delays and changing policies, impacting international student applications.
- •Many countries are targeting foreign students as student visas have become pathways to employment and permanent residency, contributing to housing crises and becoming a political issue ahead of elections.
Key Questions Answered
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a legislative package proposing a ban on burqas and niqabs in schools, a legal cap on the number of foreign students per classroom, and mandatory Italian-language classes for parents of foreign students experiencing severe integration challenges.
Australia has changed its visa rules to prevent students from bringing their families or partners and has placed emphasis on stopping 'course-hopping', where students enroll in successive courses solely to extend their stay amid housing crisis debates.
Governments are tightening rules because student visas have increasingly become pathways to permanent employment and residency rather than just education, fueling political debates around housing crises, national identity, and upcoming elections.
