In a new analysis of visa numbers by India news portal, Indian Express it is revealed that for the first time it has been recorded that the number of students going to foreign universities has sharply decreased. The top three destinations. Including the US, UK, and Canada, all together saw a decline in numbers.
In Canada, this number decreased by 32 per cent, from 2.78 lakh to 1.89 lakh, as per the reports of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The number for the United States is 34 per cent, and the lowest of all three is 24 per cent for the United Kingdom. The comparison is between the visas from 2023 and 2024.
The expected reasons behind the drop are the restrictions on visas imposed by the countries, especially the US and Canada, amidst the growing population of foreign students and their impact on the local population and services of the country. Canada has implemented several measures to reduce the number of foreign students, which has impacted the students. Among these are Programmes for fast-track Student Direct Stream, and the reduced percentage of the temporary population to only 5 per cent of the total.
These actions have been justified by the authorities, claiming that it is hampering the public services of the country. Similar restrictions have been imposed by the UK in 2024, impacting students going to the countries for higher education. This is the first time that the number has decreased, while it is still noted that the number of students in Canada and the US from India are more than Chinese students in the last year.
Not only has the number decreased, but the reasons and preferences have also changed among the students, in the US, for example, earlier engineering was the top field that was preferred by the students in 2017, but later maths and computer science became the major attractions, as per the report of Open Doors. Lately, most students visit the country for post-graduate degrees rather than undergraduate degrees. The situation in the UK is similar, where four in five students are pursuing a master’s degree. While the new conditions in these top destinations have reduced the number of students going abroad, it is important for the Indian universities to bring reforms and changes to adapt to the changing needs of the students and the industries.
