Study Abroad: Student visa rules tightened in Canada, Australia, UK, what will be the impact on Indian students?

Study Abroad for Indians: Getting a visa to study in Canada has become like climbing a mountain. Here the visa rules have been tightened and fewer study permits are being issued to foreign students. Australia and Britain are also thinking of bringing similar rules. Experts say that due to the current situation, the number of Indian students in these countries may decrease in 2025. Slowly, Indian students are getting disillusioned with all three countries. After the visa rules were tightened in Canada, Britain and Australia, students who went abroad to study have now started turning to other countries. They have found a solution to this problem themselves and now they have started turning to countries like Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, New Zealand and Malta. However, a large number of Indian students go to these countries to study. But the number of students going to study here is less than the number of students going to study in Canada, Australia and Britain.

In which countries can Indian students go to study?

According to Vaibhav Gupta, Chief Marketing Officer of iSchoolConnect, an online study abroad platform, about 7,30,000 Indian students are studying in Canada, Australia and the UK. he/she expects that about 1,25,000 fewer Indian students will go to these three countries. Vaibhav said, “This shortfall will be met either by the US or European countries like France, Italy, Germany or Eastern European countries.” That is, Indian students will go to these countries to study instead of Canada, the UK and Australia.

Canada cuts study visa approval

Canada has cut study visa approvals by 35% for 2024 and announced a further cut of 10% in 2025. Adarsh ​​Khandelwal, co-founder of Collegify, said, “The massive cut of 35% by Canada could result in around 80,500 Indian students being denied study permits in 2024, indicating a massive drop in admissions.” Experts say another 23,000 students could be affected next year.

The Canadian government has also decided to link the post-graduation work permit to the labour market, which Piyush Kumar, regional director-South Asia and Mauritius at IDP Education, called a positive move. “As a result, students will be more careful while selecting a course,” he/she said.

Rules have been tightened for foreign students in Britain too

Britain has recently increased the minimum amount that foreign students coming to study have to keep in their bank accounts. When students come to study in Britain, they have to show that they have money in their accounts, which they will spend during their studies and stay. While getting a visa, foreign students have to show their bank statement. Strict conditions were already implemented in January and now the amount to be kept as savings has also been increased.

In January, the British government said that foreign students cannot bring their dependents (wife or parents) to Britain on a study visa. Only postgraduate researchers were exempted from this. According to experts, about 40% of Indian students in Britain live with dependents. Khandelwal of Collegify said, “Postgraduate applications from India are expected to decline by 15-20%.” he/she said that increasing the amount of savings will put additional financial pressure on students.

Australia also limited the number of foreign students

Australia has recently decided that it will allow only a certain number of foreign students to come here. Only 2,70,000 foreign students will get study visas every year in Australia from 2025. Also, visa requirements have been tightened and eligibility criteria have also been increased. Saurabh Arora, Founder and CEO of University Living, said, “The recent reduction in intake caps for study permits in major destinations like Canada, Australia and the UK is creating a more selective environment for Indian students.”

According to University Living, between 2021 and 2023, Spain is expected to see the number of international students increase by more than 28%, while Germany sees a rise of nearly 13% and, outside Europe, New Zealand and Dubai both see growth of around 10%.