Taiwan is to grant visas to an estimated 13,000 foreign students before schools open next month, Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) said yesterday at a news conference in Taipei after a reporter asked about the status of international students amid a nationwide level 2 COVID-19 alert. The visas are to be granted to those studying for a degree and people enrolled in Chinese-language scholarship programs, but not exchange students or those in short-term language classes, Pan said. The ministry’s plans for international students were approved last week at a meeting of government agencies, with COVID-19 prevention being the main concern, he