US Student Visa Approvals Plummet, Visitor Visas Surge for Indian Applicants
This is one of the first articles coming out of India stating that student visas are down. Our internal data has been tracking this way; however, reporting from the U.S. Department of State claims they are seeing record numbers again in 2024. Our team is tracking the data, working with others in our sector and meeting with Congressional offices on Capitol Hill. We are trying to figure out what changed in 2024.
According to data from the US government’s visa approval records, in June 2023, 40,224 student visas were issued, while this year, the number fell to 26,747. July figures also saw a drop from 31,803 last year to 14,607 this year. In total, 88,556 student visas were approved in 2023, but this year the figure stands at 58,726 – a reduction of approximately 20 to 25 percent.
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Beyond the Big Four: How Demand for Study Abroad Is Shifting to Destinations in Asia and Europe
We have been reporting for some time that global competition is increasing, providing more options beyond the “Big Four.” The US has relied on our reputation and rankings for far too long. We have been running on auto-pilot and it is time for a serious course correction. Our work with the U.S. for Success Coalition is aimed at addressing this issue.
That shift in student behaviour is rooted in a few key factors, including students placing a higher priority on affordability, the pull of faster and more certain student visa processing, geographic and cultural proximity, the expansion of English-taught degree programmes in non-English-speaking countries, and enhanced access to work during study as well as post-study work opportunities. At the same time, a number of destinations that are more actively working to recruit foreign students – for example, Japan or South Korea – are doing so in part because of declining domestic populations of college-aged students and the related need to attract talent for in key areas of local labour market demand.
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Canada Announces Big Changes to Post-Graduation Work Permit Program
As we all know, Canada has made significant policy changes impacting international students. They have now announced changes to their Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) programs; this is the equivalent to OPT in the US. Similar to the US, students who apply for the PGWP have to have a job in their field of study, and students must graduate from a program linked to certain occupations in long-term shortage. All applicants now prove their English or French proficiency through testing. Policy changes will be in effect as of November 1, 2024, in Canada.
Comparing this to the US, students must work in their field of study, there are no English requirements, and they do not have to have a job to apply (they have 90 days to secure a position).
Canada has announced the changes in the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program to manage the volume of temporary resident arrivals in the country. Starting November 1, 2024, study program requirements are changing for Post-Graduation Work Permit Program applicants.
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