Opinion… from the News Editor, 25.09.25

The government of Australia has published an update on the progress of the higher education sector against the National Planning Level target of new overseas student commencements (NOSCs) it set for the year.

It looks like the higher education sector as a whole may slightly exceed the government’s targets, but it is worth remembering that the target itself is roughly based on 2023 levels and represents a decline compared with last year.

This decrease is demonstrated in separate data on commencements in the year up to July 2025, which are down by 15 per cent across all levels, and by 21.8 per cent for vocational providers.

For the ELICOS English language sector, the decrease compared with the same period of the previous year, is even more severe at 43.7 per cent.

ELICOS is not included in the National Planning Level target or the associated visa processing priorities; the damage here is being done by an exorbitant student visa fee. The time really has come for the government to introduce a differentiated visa fee for shorter study programs, including ELICOS. There will surely be more closures and job losses if it doesn’t.

Denmark is the latest destination to push back against international students, with the Ministry of Immigration announcing that it will remove the right of non-EU students to bring dependents and reduce the post-study job search visa period from three years to one year.

It cites the growth of students from Bangladesh and Nepal bringing dependents. So why not introduce temporary restrictions on those markets?

Is it necessary to reduce the post-study period for all non-EU students? The three-year period was only introduced two years ago as part of a push to attract and retain more international students.

Matthew Knott, News Editor of StudyTravel Magazine.

In the USA the latest policy update is that international students must apply for visas in their country of nationality or residence. This won’t affect most students and agents, but for some markets with long wait times for interviews, it removes the possibility of hopping over a border to apply. In Nigeria, for example, the published wait time for an interview in Lagos is 11 months.

The sector in the USA has dealt with a lot of policy changes and rhetoric over recent months, but associations have come together to lobby for international students to be exempt from the travel ban that currently affects 19 countries – and potentially more in the future. We wish them the best of luck.

I haven’t forgotten the positive! Hong Kong’s Chief Executive has announced a push to attract more international students and make the island a regional hub. There is funding for promotional campaigns, an increase in international student quotas and new student housing.

Intra-Asian study is a growing trend, and Hong Kong has been a growth market for Japanese and Chinese students in recent years.

Elsewhere this week, we reported on French language school association Groupement FLE commencing a strategy of more formal collaboration with industry associations, starting with an MoU with Brazilian agency group BELTA .

There was also a new football plus English program in partnership with Celtic FC for St Andrew’s College Language Schools ; an expansion into Singapore for Study Group; new junior residential camps in Canada for Global Village English ; and a collaboration between PJL Global Students and Linguastay to offer programs in Eastbourne.