Society

Indian Students Abroad 2026: US, Canada, UK vs Europe

Indian students are not abandoning the US, Canada or the UK, but their choices are diversifying. Canada has cut new study-permit arrivals to about 155,000 for…

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PANDEMIC DISRUPTION

COVID-19 interrupts study-abroad plans

Border closures and online teaching interrupted study-abroad plans and pushed middle-class Indian families to reassess the cost and risk of relying on a single high-cost…

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POST-COVID BOOM

Record Indian student inflows, Canada in front

Pent-up demand produced record Indian student inflows, with Canada the single largest destination and strong numbers to the US, UK and Australia. Rapid growth strained h…

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CANADA CAP

Canada begins restricting international student growth

Canada introduced a national cap on international student intake in 2024, alongside provincial attestation letters, higher proof-of-funds requirements and changes to Pos…

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COST AND VISA PRESSURE

Refusal rates rise; costs keep climbing

Canadian study-permit refusal rates rose to roughly 59 percent for 2025 across all new applicants, with a modest improvement in early 2026. US F-1 refusals for Indian ap…

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EUROPE PIVOT REPORTED

Reuters reports rising Indian interest in Europe

Education advisers told Reuters they were seeing increased Indian interest in Germany, the Netherlands, France and Italy, linked partly to US immigration uncertainty, co…

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US FIXED-STAY RULE

DHS finalises a fixed period of stay for F, J and I visa holders

A DHS final rule published on 17 July 2026 replaces open-ended duration of status with admission for a fixed term, the programme length on the Form I-20 capped at four y…

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US CPT MEMO

SEVP warns universities on Curricular Practical Training

A Student and Exchange Visitor Program memo dated 24 August 2026 warned universities about CPT authorisations that appear to breach the rule allowing CPT only where the…

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CANADA 2026 PLAN

Up to 408,000 study permits, about 155,000 for new arrivals

Under the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan, IRCC expects to issue up to 408,000 study permits in 2026, of which about 155,000 are for newly arriving students and roughl…

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UK GRADUATE ROUTE

Graduate Route falls to 18 months (scheduled)

For Graduate visa applications made on or after 1 January 2027, the post-study work period for bachelor's and master's graduates drops from two years to 18 months. Docto…

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