Visa crackdown impact? 1.33 lakh fewer Indians pursuing overseas education, shows government data

NEW DELHI: As many as 1,33,925 fewer Indians left to study abroad last year, shows data from the Bureau of Immigration, shared by the education ministry with parliament on Monday. This is likely an impact of tightening immigration and study visa rules in some of the top destinations including Canada, which saw a 41% drop in Indian students going to it for education.

Australia – another country which imposed visa restrictions – and the United States have also seen drops of a similar order, around 12-13%. The United Kingdom saw a drop of 27.75%. The four top destinations – US, UK, Australia and Canada – have seen a total drop of 1,73,891 Indian students with some of that slack picked up by other countries, most notably, Germany, Bangladesh and Russia.

That said, the number of Indians leaving for education abroad remains staggering – more than 24 lakh in just the past three years with 7.59 lakh leaving just last year. This is still slightly higher than 2022 levels.

Overseas Education: Slow-down in top destinations

Stricter immigration and study-abroad policies introduced by major destinations like Canada , the United Kingdom , the US and Australia have led to higher financial requirements and tougher visa regulations. Also, limited post-study work options and tighter restrictions, if not outright ban, on accompanying families are all making it more challenging to study abroad.

The US, UK, Australia and Canada still continue to draw the most Indian students abroad but have seen numbers fall. In the US, the visa rejection rate has increased. The table below shows the number of Indian students leaving to study in one of these countries over the past two years and the difference. The biggest drop is in the number of Indians going to study in Canada.

Study Abroad: Top destinations and drop in students

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Apart from these major changes, there are small reductions in several other countries as well which may not have been due to visa restrictions.

Of this lot, China has seen the sharpest decline of 2,301 students. Since Covid, the number of Indians going to study in China seems to have fluctuated wildly, from just 1,967 in 2022 to 7,279 in 2023 and down again to 4,978 in 2024.

Which countries are drawing Indian students?

No country has increased its intake of Indian students enough to make up for the number lost by the top four but among those drawing more Indian students, there are some clear – and often surprising – winners. Germany has added over 11,000 more Indian students and Bangladesh, over 8,800 more, followed by Russia. The 10 countries with the highest increases in intake of Indian students abroad are given below.

Study Abroad Countries: Top 10 showing highest growth

Countries like Austria, Iran, Cyprus, Japan and even Latvia have seen increases. New Zealand has seen numbers go up by 826, significant given its size.

Raising concerns about fraudulent agencies misguiding students with false promises regarding education and part-time job opportunities, the education ministry’s reply stated that studying abroad remains a personal choice. However, to support students facing distress in foreign countries, the Government of India has established the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) at Indian missions and posts worldwide. This fund provides emergency financial assistance to Indian citizens, including students, based on need, it added.