UK overtakes rivals to top 2025 global study visa rankings

New study visas issued by the four traditional top destinations for international students, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, have fallen by around 38% between 2023 and 2025, largely as a result of stricter and more disruptive immigration policies.

 

The findings come from an analysis of 2025 enrolment data by The PIE News and Higher Insights, which identified several unexpected trends in global international student recruitment.

 

Despite a 32% drop in study visas issued during the fourth quarter of 2025, the UK is on track to issue more new international student visas across all education levels than the United States, Canada and Australia, marking the first time it has led the group since 2022.

 

The UK previously gained an advantage as rival destinations struggled during and immediately after the Covid-19 pandemic. It now appears to be benefiting once again, this time from stricter visa caps and higher refusal rates in competing countries.

 

Canada experienced the sharpest decline, issuing 399,405 fewer study visas to international students in 2025 than it did in 2023.

 

Canada's sharp decline has also allowed France and Germany to overtake it in new international student enrolments during 2025, suggesting the traditional “big four” study destinations may be evolving into a more competitive “big six.”

 

Direct comparisons with the United States are more difficult because immigration data is only available until September 2025. However, ongoing visa processing delays, restrictions affecting certain countries, uncertainty surrounding the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme and confirmed changes to visa duration rules are all believed to have weighed on enrolments. As a result, the US is expected to have issued more than 100,000 fewer student visas than the UK in 2025.

 

In addition, countries including South Korea, Japan, China and Malaysia recorded strong growth in new international student enrolments in 2025 and are increasingly being recognised among a broader group of challenger markets often referred to as the “big 14.”

 

As the global study-abroad landscape continues to evolve, further analysis will be needed to assess the scale, competitiveness and long-term role of these destinations within a rapidly changing international education market.

 

The increase in student visa numbers is unlikely to provide much comfort to UK universities, many of which are grappling with financial pressures and announcing significant job cuts. Similar cost-cutting measures are also being seen across Canada, Australia and the United States, where universities are scaling back operations in response to the downturn in international student enrolments.

 

Here’s a snapshot of 2025 study visa issuance across the new “big six” destinations.

 

UK

394,921 new study visas issued

Based on official immigration data. The figure covers new principal applicants for sponsored study at all education levels who applied from outside the UK. It excludes short-term study visas and visa extensions. This comes despite a 32% decline in visa issuance during the fourth quarter of 2025, reflecting the seasonal slowdown associated with the winter university intake.

 

Australia

365,616 new study visas issued

Based on official immigration statistics. To enable a like-for-like comparison with Northern Hemisphere destinations, Australia's figures include students across all education levels and study modes. Using only offshore new study visas, the total would be significantly lower at 224,044.

 

US

298,881 new study visas issued

Based on official monthly non-immigrant visa issuance data. As the US stopped publishing these statistics after October 2025, the analysis uses figures covering the period from October 2024 to September 2025. Projections from NAFSA and JB International, based on the Fall 2025 Snapshot on International Student Enrolment, indicate that new international student enrolments declined by 17%.

 

France

116,835 new student residence permits issued

Based on official immigration statistics from Direction Générale des Étrangers en France. The number of first-time student residence permits increased by 5.3% in 2025, marking a return to growth after remaining broadly flat the previous year.

 

Germany

116,600 first-year international students

According to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Germany welcomed a record 116,600 first-year international students in 2025. This figure is likely to include visa-exempt students from other European countries. By comparison, official national visa statistics show that 99,388 student visas were issued to international students during the year.

 

Canada

108,250 new study visas issued

As per data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the BONARD student visa dashboard. Canada experienced a sharp contraction in international student numbers during 2025, with The PIE previously reporting a 60% drop in new international student arrivals in February compared with a year earlier.