Once seen as gateways to opportunity and prosperity, the world’s top study destinations are rapidly shutting their doors on international students.
In a dramatic shift, countries like the UK, Canada, Australia, and the US are introducing harsher visa rules, stricter financial requirements, and curbs on post-study work rights—policies that have sparked alarm among students and universities alike.
The UK’s ban on dependants, Canada’s sweeping visa cap, and Australia’s tighter scrutiny on admissions are not isolated moves but part of a global wave that’s turning the tide against foreign learners. For many students, the dream of studying abroad is now clouded by uncertainty and rising hostility, as nations once hungry for global talent begin pulling up the drawbridge.
As a result, the UK issued 393,125 sponsored study visas to main applicants in 2024, marking a 14% decrease from the previous year. This downturn was most pronounced among students from Nigeria and India, with visa issuances dropping by 55% and 26%, respectively. Applications for student dependants experienced an even sharper decline, plummeting by 84% to just 21,978 in 2024.
The decline has not only affected students but also placed financial strain on UK universities. International students typically pay substantially higher fees than domestic students, often two to three times more. For instance, while domestic tuition fees have been capped at £9,250 since 2017, international students may pay over £30,000 annually, depending on the course and institution. This disparity has led to international fees constituting a significant portion of university incomes. Approximately 72% of institutions anticipate running a financial deficit, with nearly one in four already implementing job cuts or program cancellations.
The Trump administration’s recent decision to revoke Harvard University’s certification to enrol international students has sparked outrage across the academic world, with experts warning of profound consequences for American higher education, global research collaboration, and the country’s international reputation.
The move, widely seen as part of a broader political campaign against elite institutions, has prompted lawsuits, international backlash, and concern from faculty, students, and global education leaders. Harvard South Asian Association condemned the Department of Homeland Security’s decision and expressed unwavering support for international community in a statement shared with Asian Voice.
“International students bring integral and immeasurable value to both SAA and the entire Harvard community”, the statement read.
“Our members come from nations across the entire South Asian diaspora, and we strive to affirm their belonging and importance on campus. If this decision by the current federal administration is actualised, Harvard will lose some of its greatest minds and kindest souls, and SAA will irrevocably lose its community.
“We call on Harvard’s administration, faculty, and students to maintain steadfast support for its international student body in these turbulent times. To all international students: you belong at Harvard, and we will stand for you”, it further stated.
Harvard has already filed a legal challenge, and a federal judge has temporarily halted the enforcement of the ban while the case proceeds but the whole situation has foreshadowed the sign of a grim future.
Factors driving the worrying trend
For different countries, the reason behind introducing foreign intake cap is different. Factors like exploitation of visa scheme, housing pressures, workforce demands, etc.
Prof Parvati Raghuram from The Open University’s Geography Department highlights that it is a global surge in anti-migration sentiment that is contributing to restrictive visa policies. “Students are counted as part of migration streams even though 97% of them return to their home country. This has led to a series of visa restrictions in many countries,” she explained.
She notes that the growing influence of populist parties is also shifting government stances on migration. For example, the Reform Party’s strong performance in the 2025 local elections was followed by a series of proposed policy changes targeting migration.
She also highlighted that the motivations and forms of restrictions vary widely between countries. She explains this stating, “For instance, in Canada the reason for drop in student migration because of the crackdown on universities and colleges taking students, after fraudulent behaviour was uncovered there. In the US, the current government aims to break down elitism in the HE sector. It has also targeted institutions that are outspoken on the Palestine-Israel issue, and universities are often sites of anti-war sentiment.
“Australia has instituted a set of policies to reduce the number of international students it takes into vocational courses and this has depressed applications. Finally, the US, for instance, has particularly targeted migrants from particular countries such as Nigeria.”
What becomes of the UK as a destination for higher education?
Discussing what she foresees for higher education, Prof Raghuram said, “Higher education institutions thrive on mobility of ideas, staff and students. Universities build reputations through their international reach, i.e., by becoming desirable study places. This reputation is at risk. More fundamentally, universities are funded through a mixture of student fees and government subsidy. Student fees in the UK have remained static since 2017 and have not kept pace with inflation. This leads to a deficit in university funding which many universities have covered through international student fees, which are typically three times the value of domestic fees. Universities are therefore at the risk of collapse; the UCU has just declared that they will strike over this.”
Anand Menon, Director at UK in a Changing Europe mirrors the same sentiment expressing that the point isn’t so much about UK’s position and reputation on the global stage. “The aspect to consider is that it will absolutely shaft the finances of UK universities, because they are heavily dependent on international students paying higher fees to study here. If we have fewer foreign students, it becomes far, far harder to fund our universities—of course.
“What’s interesting is that even in other countries, there’s now pushback. In the Netherlands, for instance, some supporters of populist right-wing parties are arguing against having so many foreign students—particularly because, they claim, these students show up not speaking Dutch and only speak English.
“That’s a major point of contention. The argument from the populists is that these foreign students don't culturally integrate. That’s their concern.
“But the reality is that these students do pay, they contribute to the economy, and they often stay and get jobs. Their economic contribution is positive. It’s just that there's a kind of cultural argument being made against them.”
Light at the end of the tunnel?
While 6,800 international students at Harvard University are directly affected by the Trump administration's recent move, in a remarkable show of global solidarity, international universities are stepping forward to support displaced students.
Germany has offered to host an “exile campus” for Harvard students barred from studying in the US, underlining its commitment to academic freedom and global cooperation. Meanwhile, universities in Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and City University of Hong Kong, are offering fast-track admissions and academic support for affected students, particularly those from Asia.
In the UK as well, Prof Raghuram feels that all is not lost. She recommends removing students from the international immigration figures to governments and institutions seeking to balance immigration control with sustaining their international education sectors. “Most of them are temporary and will move on and should therefore be considered such”, she said.
She further added, “Secondly, if students are paying international student fees, they should be given good support. If we use the analogy of the aviation industry, a business class passenger who pays three times that of an economy class one, is given rights and privileges. Why is this not applied to international students? This will help universities to recover from the bad press that they are receiving in the countries from which migrants arrive.”
The National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK, along with Lord Karan Bilimoria, hosted a discussion in the Parliament and were joined by institutions from across the UK to share insights, challenges, and solutions across the education sector. The event convened leaders from across the higher education sector, government, Parliament, and some of the greatest minds in education to have a real, honest, and forward-looking conversation about international students, the future of higher education, and the deepening ties between the UK and India.
Educator John Hattie in his book ‘Visible Learning for Teachers’ famously said, “It is incumbent therefore upon schools to attend to student friendships, to ensure that the class makes newcomers welcomed, and, at minimum, to ensure that all students have a sense of belonging.”
Clearly, the world is currently failing the education sector and the sense of belonging must return, it’s imperative and more importantly, not too late.
Indian students face declining opportunities abroad
- In 2024, the number of Indian students studying overseas declined by approximately 15% compared to the previous year, dropping from 892,989 in 2023 to 759,064 in 2024.
- Canada, a traditionally popular destination for Indian students, saw a notable decrease in study permits issued to Indian nationals. In the first quarter of 2025, only 30,650 permits were granted, marking a 31% drop from 44,295 in the same period the previous year.
- Similarly, the United Kingdom experienced a decline in international student numbers. In 2024, net migration fell sharply to 431,000, nearly half of the previous year's total, with a significant decrease in student arrivals.
- Conversely, countries like Germany and New Zealand have become increasingly attractive to Indian students. German student numbers rose by 68% from 2022 to 2024, while New Zealand saw a remarkable 354% increase in the same period .
- The US embassy has issued warnings stating that students who skip classes or drop out without proper notification risk having their visas revoked, reflecting a sentiment of tension. Additionally, approximately 788 Indian students at Harvard University were impacted by the revocation of the institution's authorisation to enrol international students .
