Recently, a number of universities in the UK have reported a sharp decline in international students.
According to a report by the Guardian on May 13, a survey of 75 institutions by the Association for International Liaison with British Universities found that 90% of institutions have fewer applications for study abroad in the next academic year, and the total number of applications for taught postgraduate courses has decreased by 27% compared with last year.
According to the report, the restrictions imposed by the British government on international students earlier this year have led to a decrease in the number of applicants to study abroad, and the uncertainty of the graduate visa policy has further led to a decrease in the number of students.
In fact, over the past year or so, the UK government has introduced a number of new immigration policies, including "unfriendly" policies for international students. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has publicly stated: "If you can't contribute to the UK, you don't want to come to the UK." ”
Screenshot of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's social media account
Just a few days ago, Robert Janriek, the former British immigration secretary, and the Centre for Policy Research, a think tank, released a joint report calling for the abolition of graduate visas.
Like the UK, Australia intends to tighten the floodgates for international students.
According to media reports, the Australian government has announced that it will soon introduce legislation to control the size of international student enrolment by capping the number of new students at each university or college to "further support the integrity and sustainability of the international education sector".
In fact, since July last year, the Australian government has introduced a series of measures to tighten student visas, including raising English language proficiency requirements; Applicants are required to provide more proof of deposit; Strengthen the supervision of educational institutions and adopt severe punitive measures......
The same is true for Canada, another popular study abroad destination. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced on January 22, 2024, that it will limit the number of foreign students entering the country for two years.
As part of the change, work visas for international students have also been affected. From September 1, 2024, international students enrolled in so-called public college-private partnership programs at private colleges in Canada will not be eligible for post-graduation work permits.
In addition, the spouse work permit will only be applied for by the spouses of master's and doctoral students, and the spouses of college and undergraduate students will no longer enjoy this policy.
Restrictions on international students have raised concerns in three countries, especially universities that are highly reliant on international students.
Sally Mapps, vice-chancellor of the University of St Andrews and president of the Association of British Universities, said: "If the government takes further action to limit the number of international students, it will be a tragedy, a disaster for the university and for the whole of the UK." ”
Mark Scott, vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney in Australia, said international students have a choice if you send a message that they are not welcome. "They can go to other countries, and they want to."
David Faller, president of McMaster University in Canada, said the additional fees paid by international students at McMaster University helped cover the costs of the university's 3,000 domestic students who did not receive government funding.
University of Sydney Campus. (Data map)
Does the tightening of the "floodgates" for international students in the above three countries mean that it is more difficult for Chinese students to study abroad?
In Australia, for example, it is reported that many people use studying abroad as a springboard to find employment there, and the influx of too many students has caused a certain burden on the lives of local people, such as rising prices and rents.
Chen Jing, director of the Australian Project Management Center of Qide Education, said in an interview with Jiemian News that the above situation rarely happens to Chinese students, and most of them still have the real purpose of studying. This is also the reason why the approval rate of Chinese students is relatively high.
There are also industry insiders who believe that Australia will not reduce the number of students studying in Australia, they will only limit the annual growth rate of 15% to 5%. "Students who have good English skills, attend a good university or college, and genuinely intend to study rather than work are less likely to be affected."
According to the policy previously announced by the UK Home Office, international students, including undergraduate and taught postgraduate students, cannot bring family members (e.g. partners, children) to the UK, except for international students pursuing a research master's or doctoral degree and receiving government-funded scholarships.
The policy will affect potential international students who are unable to study with their families, and will actually have little impact on Chinese students studying in the UK. A UK government spokesperson also said that the right balance would be struck between tackling the immigration problem and attracting the brightest students to study at UK universities.
Regarding Canada's new policy on studying abroad, according to the analysis of relevant people, it is actually aimed at rectifying some colleges and universities that do not have or are not fully qualified to run schools, but use "providing formal diplomas" and "obtaining post-graduation work permits" as bait to attract international students. For those Chinese students who have the ability to enter prestigious universities for further study, the golden period of studying abroad in Canada still exists.
Source: China Overseas Chinese Network (ID: qiaowangzhongguo)
Editor: Wang Qin
Editor in charge: Ma Haiyan