India Insights: Dream Of The Abroad, How Are The Devaluation Of The Rupee And Visa Crackdowns Stopping Indian Students To Seek International Studies
AMIT RANJAN
For each passing decade, the number of Indians who seek international studies opportunities have grown. They saw it as a dream. A reachable dream. Since 2025, India has become the number one source of international students, pulling ahead of China, having 1.2 million students studying abroad last year. Most of the students’ desire to study at one of the “big four”: the UK, USA, Canada or Australia. And for many years, this was achievable for several upper-middle-class Indian families. They leave their homes with high expectations for their careers, education, and personal growth, hoping that the West will fulfill their dream. However, reality has taken a turn. Due to the significant weakening of rupee’s value in the international economy, many students are either no longer able to study at their sought-after destinations or are incapable of moving abroad at all. It has been calculated that, since 2019, the rupee has been devalued between 35% to 47% when contrasted with the currency of the “big four”: Canadian, American and Australian dollar, and the UK’s pound sterling.
Strict Visa Requirements
The current difficulty in getting visas has also hindered Indian students’ chances of studying in another country. Throughout UK’s Prime Minister Keir Stammer’s administration, visa rules have significantly changed, obstructing the student’s paths. One of the innermost and impactful changes is the financial maintenance amount. Previous to the November 2025 changes, the amount increased in almost 100 pounds, going from £1,483 to £1,529 per month for students in London, and £1,136 to £1,171 per month for those studying outside of London. Although the increase may not seem astounding by some, when this sum is converted to rupee, the difference certainly weights on the students, or whoever is sponsoring their education, pockets.
Australia, US and Canada, have also made adjustments to their visa rules and application fees, leading to a substantial plummeting in Indian students’ presence in universities. Recent data has displayed that the within the United States enrolment numbers have dropped by close to 50%, deeply impacting the overall number of international students in the country, signifying a drop of 7% to 19%. Parallel to the UK’s enrolment crashing, the US has also introduced more severe visa policies, such as the end of the “Duration of Status” (D/S) and the “Optional Practical Training” becoming stricter. Donald Trump’s administration also poses threat not only to the entrance of these students in the country, but also to the long-term career prospects, which is a major reason why Indians choose the United States.
Regarding the US’ neighbour, Canada, the index of Indian international students suffered an overwhelming drop, from 51.6% in 2023 to 8.1% by the end of 2025. These numbers are a direct reflection of Canada’s capping of study permits, associated with the deprecation of India’s currency, as well as the establishment of stringent Provincial Attestation Letters. In the beginning of 2024, the country introduced a two-year limit on the emission of international students permits, allowing only 350,000 students each year, explaining the low percentage. The BBC has reported that applications have been minimised in 80%, given the staggering number of visas that are being rejected and skyrocketing of housing costs in the cities.
Following the same pattern as the other countries, Australia has seen an equally significant decrease. Enrolment numbers have dropped in nearly 10,000, going from 78,093 to 68,572 students, which attributed to new government measures. Akin to Canada’s policies, Canberra established a national mandate to cap international students’ visas given the large number of student immigrants in 2023. Additionally, visa fees have become more expensive, preventing Indian students to even apply to study in the Oceania giant. Australia has also implemented the Genuine Student (GS) test, a replacement to the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE). This test requires the student to answer four highly specific questions explaining their field of study and why will benefit them professionally, as well as details of their current livelihood.
Indian Students Alternatives
The overall amalgamation between visa complexities and the new position of the rupee in the international market have resulted in the overwhelming drop in both presence and desire of India students to study in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Nevertheless, Indian students have found other opportunities in different nations, where the costs and visas are not so restrictive as the most sought-after nations. Pragati Pryia from the state of Jharkhand has decided to finally follow her dream to study abroad. Supported by her parents and sister, the 29-year-old enrolled in a master’s program that will commence in September 2026. The student considered the “big four” countries, however, all the factors previously stated have made impossible for her to regard them as a feasible opportunity. Requiring a cheaper alternative with better prospects following graduation, Pryia opted to move to Rome, Italy. “It has kept me up at night. I don't want to burden myself with a student loan that [I] will never finish [repaying]", Pryia says in an interview. In this testimony, one can see the anxiety and the time spent when taking the decision; Pryia’s feelings are shared with thousands of other prospect and current Indian international students.
Throughout several years, the US and Europe, mostly the UK, have attempted to establish themselves as hubs for international students, as they bring large sums of money for the universities in the countries. However, the “big four” has implemented harsh policies in order to minimise the number of international students, such as developing stricter visa requirements and higher costs of livings. Indian students have begun disappearing from universities within the US, UK, Canada and Australia, as they are seeking more financially responsible alternatives for their educations.
