Last updated on: 22 April 2021

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has seen many countries closed their borders and tighten travel restrictions. To mitigate the risk of Covid-19 transmission and to protect both students and staff, most schools worldwide have stopped face-to-face classes. Classes were conducted online and some schools have taken a hybrid approach for classes that are required to be taught on campus, e.g. classes that require the use of laboratory facilities.

Since the discovery of Covid-19 vaccines, schools are pushing for fully or increase in face-to-face classes in the third quarter of 2021. We will be posting updates on our website when they are any changes in both government and school's policies so please continue visiting our website or make an enquiry on our contact form below to stay updated.

The updates would include country border re-openings or closure, school's mode of classes (online, hybrid or face-to-face), quarantine processes on arrival at the airport and vaccine rollout implementation in Australia, United Kingdom and the United States. Our sources are from government agencies, trusted news agencies and newsletters from schools.

Australia

Australia has been relatively successful in containing the spread of COVID-19 with a relatively low transmission within the country. Australia closed its borders to all non-citizens and non-residents in March 2020 and has been permitting only limited international arrivals, mainly its citizens returning from abroad.

Border Re-Opening

There are no indication of Australia reopening their borders to international students at this moment. The Commissioner of the Australian Border Force and decision makers may grant international students if you are:

  • a student completing year 11 and 12, with endorsement from the federal Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) and; support from the relevant Australian State or Territory government health authority and education department. Further information regarding this process can be found at the Department of Education, Skills and Employment website.
  • a student in your final two years of study of a medical, dental, nursing or allied health profession university degree, where you have evidence of a confirmed placement in an Australian hospital or medical practice which begins within the next two months.

You must hold a visa and an exemption to Australia’s travel restrictions before you travel. You can request an exemption online and must provide appropriate evidence to support your claims. Requests may be finalised without further consideration if insufficient evidence is provided. All documents need to be officially translated into English.

According to an article by Reuters, on 18 April 2021, Australia's Prime Minister, Scott Morrison said that Australia is no hurry to reopen its international borders and risk the country’s nearly coronavirus-free lifestyle.

According to an article by BBC, on 18 April 2021, Australia's Department of Health Secretary, Brendan Murphy predicts that Australia is unlikely to fully open its borders in 2021 even if most of its population gets vaccinated this year as planned, says a senior health official.

Since there are limited international flights to Australia, our take is that Australia will prioritise Australians that are stranded abroad. There are still more than 30,000 stranded Australians attempting to make their way home, which has created a flight backlog, with hotel quarantine spaces and reduced commercial flights limiting how many expats and returning travellers can get into Australia each week.

Vaccination Rollout Implementation

Despite being one of the world's success stories in its fight against Covid-19, Australia has been slower than most countries to immunise its population. According to an article by BBC, on 21 April 2021, the rollout began in February and so far 1.6 million vaccine doses have been administered nationwide in a population of 25 million. That's well short of the four million dose goal originally set for March.

The delays in the vaccination rollout plans are largely due to:

  • Concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine - the biggest part of its rollout plan - slowed things down and also contributed to some vaccine hesitancy.
  • Access to supplies.

Modes of Delivery in Universities

Most universities in Australia have adopted a hybrid learning approach whereby international students currently in Australia are able to attend a mix of face-to-face classes on a need basis (e.g. laboratory classes) and online classes. The only mode of delivery for international students that are not in Australia are through online delivery. With no news insight of the border and re-opening and the delayed in vaccine rollouts. we expect this teaching model would continue throughout the year of 2021.

Quarantine Processes on Arrival

International students who are granted special permission to enter Australia  must be tested for COVID-19 72 hours or less prior to the scheduled flight departure, and display evidence of a negative test result at the time of check-in. COVID-19 PCR testing is required. Upon arrival, international travellers may need to go into government approved mandatory quarantine for 14 days from arrival. For more detailed information, visit Australia's Department of Health's website on Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for international travellers.

United Kingdom

According to an article by BBC on 22 April 2021, lockdown regulations are easing across the United Kingdom. This is could be due to the sharp decline in Covid-19 cases across the UK due to lockdowns and vaccination rollouts. Most businesses are expected to resume by end of the second quarter, 2021. Covid-19 cases peached a peaked on 8 January 2021 with 68,053 new cases and it has fallen to 2,396 new cases on 21 April 2021.

Border Re-Opening

Borders are open to international students with a valid student visa unless you have been in or through a country on the banned travel list by the GOV.UK.

We have placed Singapore citizens and non-citizens residing in Singapore to travel to the United Kingdom since the beginning of the pandemic till now. Do contact us on more information with regards to studying in the United Kingdom.

Vaccination Rollout Implementation

According to an article by BBC, on 21 April 2021, over 33 million people have had a first vaccine dose and more than 10 million have had a second. The progress made in the UK so far means the country continues to be among those with the highest vaccination rates globally.

According to an article by Study Group, if you are an international student in full-time education in the UK then, so long as you have paid the immigration and health surcharge and have a valid student visa, you are entitled to free NHS medical care. This includes the vaccination for COVID-19. Regulations have also been passed by the UK government, which enable everyone to get tested and treated for Coronavirus, free of charge, regardless of their visa status.

Modes of Delivery in Universities

Most universities in the United Kingdom have adopted a hybrid learning approach whereby international students currently in UK are able to attend a mix of face-to-face classes on a need basis (e.g. laboratory classes) and online classes. International students that choose not to travel to the UK may also opt for classes to be delivered through online delivery. With no news insight of full campus re-opening. we expect this teaching model would continue throughout the year of 2021.

Quarantine Processes on Arrival

Quarantine requirements may defer from different regions of the UK (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales). It is important to check GOV.UK's website for more detailed information or contact us.

Before you travel to the UK, you must:

  • book 2 coronavirus (COVID-19) tests for when you quarantine in the UK
  • provide your contact details by completing the online passenger locator form
  • provide proof of a negative coronavirus test before you leave for the UK

Do also visit GOV.UK's Managed quarantine: what to expect

United States of America

According to an article by New York Times on 21 April 2021, most business across the country and open and many states are moving closer to lifting all restrictions now that the vaccine rollout is underway. Close to 50% of states in the US make mask wearing in public areas mandatory. Popular states for internationals students like New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Illinois, Washington and California has made wearing a mask in public mandatory.

The US hit a record high of 300.669 new daily Covid-19 cases on 18 January 2021 and has seen a sharp decline in daily Covid-19 new cases to 64,858 on 21 April 2021. This could be largely attributed to the rapid vaccine rollout across the nation and business establishments practicing mask wearing and social distancing in their premises.

Border Re-Opening

US borders are open to international students with a valid student visa except for international students who were physically present within the following countries during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States:

  • China
  • Iran
  • European Schengen Area
  • United Kingdom
  • Republic of Ireland
  • Brazil
  • South America

We have placed Singapore citizens and non-citizens residing in Singapore to travel to the United States since the beginning of the pandemic till now. Do contact us on more information with regards to studying in the United States.

Vaccination Rollout Implementation

According to an article by the Washington Post, on 22 April 2021, 134.4 million people have received one or both doses of the vaccine in the U.S. This includes more than 87.6 million people who have been fully vaccinated. 277.9 million doses have been distributed.

According to an article by the New York Times, on 21 April 2021, the US has vaccinated (first dosage) 40% of the population and fully vaccinated 26% of the population. While Singapore has vaccinated (first dosage) 24% of the population and fully vaccinated 15% of the population.

We can confirm that our students in the US currently have the taken the first dosage or already on the waitlist. Students are very likely to receive full vaccination by end of June 2021 or before Fall 2021 intake.

Modes of Delivery in Universities

Most universities in the United States have adopted a hybrid learning approach whereby international students currently in US are able to attend a mix of face-to-face classes on a need basis (e.g. laboratory classes) and online classes. International students that choose not to travel to the US may also opt for classes to be delivered through online delivery. According to an article by CNBC on 12 April 2021, more colleges make Covid vaccines mandatory for students to attend face-to-face classes for the Fall 2021 intake. US universities are pushing for full or almost full re-opening of their campuses for the Fall 2021 intake. Students preparing to start in Fall 2021 will likely have to travel to the US for their course. Do contact us for more information.

Quarantine Processes on Arrival

On January 12, 2021, CDC announced an Order requiring all air passengers arriving to the US from a foreign country to get tested no more than 3 days before their flight departs and to present the negative result or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 to the airline before boarding the flight. Air passengers will also be required to confirm that the information they present is true in the form of an attestation. This Order is effective as of 12:01am EST (5:01am GMT) on January 26, 2021.

The following requirements for people who are considered fully vaccinated according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are:

  • 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
  • 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

International Travel Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People

  • Before you arrive in the United States:
    • All air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated people, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 3 days before travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months before they board a flight to the United States.
  • After travel:
    • Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel.
    • Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.
    • Follow all state and local recommendations or requirements after travel.

International Travel Recommendations for Unvaccinated People

CDC recommends delaying international travel until you are able to get fully vaccinated. If you are not fully vaccinated and must travel, take the following steps to protect yourself and others from COVID-19:

Before you travel:
Get tested with a viral test 1-3 days before your trip.
Make sure you understand and follow all airline and destination requirements related to travel, testing, or quarantine, which may differ from U.S. requirements. If you do not follow your destination’s requirements, you may be denied entry and required to return to the United States.
Check the COVID-19 situation in your destination.

  • Before you arrive in the United States:
    • All air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated people, are required to have a negative COVID-19 viral test result no more than 3 days before travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months before they board a flight to the United States.
  • After you travel:
    • Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel.
      • Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.
      • If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
    • If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.
    • Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.
    • Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.
    • Follow all state and local recommendations or requirements.
  • Visit your state, territorial, tribal, and local health department’s website to look for the latest information on where to get tested.

Some Universities in the US may require students to quarantine in a hotel (usually designated and paid by the university in you have paid for housing) or in their own dormitories for 14 days.

Our Services are Free

We are the overseas university advisory and application center in Singapore. Officially appointed as Authorised Agent and funded by institutions.

Services are FREE - we do not charge service fee as we are funded by the Universities to provide services to our students.

Contact us to get free advice and assistance on your application, visa and accommodation advice.

UniGlobal Education will assist you with:

• Advice on entry requirements, application progress, and pre-application assessment
• Certification of documents
• Application checking and submission
• Accommodation advise
• Overseas student visa application assistance

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