Recent policy changes slowing student interest in the UK, Canada, and Australia

The highlights and key comments :

• According to research, immigration policy changes in the UK, Canada, and Australia are slowing international student demand
• Prospective students are getting more interested in the US, Germany, Italy, and Austria.

The Studyportals article drills down to regional-level data for each destination and looks at student demand by country of origin, offering real-time insights into how students in key markets are responding to policy changes.

Overview:

According to the research, demand from prospective students for on-campus bachelor or master programmes offered in Canada and the UK rose in January 2024, but then began to nosedive in February, especially in Canada. Declines accelerated in March 2024 then stabilized briefly, but the overall trend over February-July 2024 was downward.

Australia’s popularity over this period was much lower than the UK’s or Canada’s, but the trendline was less jagged. As the figure below illustrates, compared to the first week of 2024, the UK, Australia, and Canada respectively saw drops of 25.8%, 25.1%, and 17.6% by 21 July 2024.

Canada’s enrollment cap:

• An extension of the current cap on foreign enrollment through 2025 and 2026. The cap for each of those two years will be 10% less than the 2024 level.
• The cap now captures master’s and doctoral students for 2025 and beyond, whereas students in advanced degrees were previously exempt from cap limits.
• Degree graduates will remain eligible for a Postgraduate Work Permit (PGWP) of up to three years. International students approved for a study permit after 1 October 2024 – if they graduate from college programmes – will no longer be eligible for a PGWP. This is unless their programme is linked to an area of high labour market demand.
• Spousal work permit eligibility will be further limited as well. Later this year, only spouses of master’s degree students whose program is at least 16 months in duration will be eligible for a spousal permit.
• As part of changes to the PGWP Program, all applicants will be required to demonstrate a minimum language proficiency in French or English. This will increase their ability to transition to permanent residence and adapt to changing economic conditions. A Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 for university graduates and CLB 5 for college graduates will be required for anyone applying for a post-graduation work permit on or after November 1, 2024.

For admission to JESSUP University, California, USA contact us. We are authorized recruiter for JESSUP Uiversity.

By Babatunde Mustapha (Dip. Immigration Law, LLB London, LLM Toronto).