[Photo/Agencies] The United States government has announced that students from China will be exempt from the remaining travel bans related to COVID-19, but experts said the students still face hurdles such as visa-processing backlogs. The US State Department said in a statement dated Monday that it "made a national interest determination" to exempt certain categories of travelers from the travel restrictions imposed by former US president Donald Trump's administration last year. Those eligible for exemptions include students, academics, journalists and individuals "seeking to provide vital support for critical infrastructure", from China, Brazil, Iran, South Africa, the 26-nation Schengen Area in Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland.