A recent report was developed that focused on the extent to which international students look closely at work opportunities and immigration policies when comparing study abroad destinations. According to the research, there is a tremendous amount of value associated with education institutions ability to clearly communicate with students about visas, work permits, and immigration opportunities.
Certainly, the reason for the hindrance in passing on crucial information to students and agents lies in the untimely communication of official policy announcements with educators. The latest trend seen in affecting the motivation of international students to study in the UK, Australia, and Canada is change in their immigration settings.
In March 2024, a survey was conducted that included responses from 8,300 prospective students across 124 countries. However, the most represented nationalities are:
- India
- Philippines
- Nigeria
- Nepal
- Sri Lanka
- Bangladesh
According to the survey, around 56% of the students were interested in working in their host country, while 28% had plans to emigrate to that country. However, only 16% of the students have plans to leave the country right after completing their studies.
Around 79% of the students hold the view that post-study work rights are extremely important to them while making the decision to study abroad. However, 19% of the students are of the view that these rights are moderately important, while 3% of students are of the view that these rights do not play a significant role.
Decreasing demand for Australia and Canada:
In a survey, 1 in 6 students revealed that they have changed their study abroad preference in the past 12 months. The demand from Australia (-9%) and Canada (-32%) has been shifted to New Zealand (+86%), Germany (+36%), and the US (+13%).
The major influencing factors for students to change their destination are the high fees in their original country of choice (24%). Moreover, negative policy change is also a factor considered by prospective international students (14%).
Shocking revelations from the survey:
In a finding, there were 1000 current, former, and prospective international students from India, the Philippines, China, and Colombia. These students were specifically asked about their experiences studying in Australia, since these were the countries sending the highest number of students to Australia.
This survey highlighted a worrisome finding, indicating that 41% of prospective students were not aware of the migration settings in Australia. Of the total students who were aware of the migration settings, over one-third of students found out things on their own. Apart from that, around 15% of the students learned about the facts from their agents. The study also found that:
- International students consider studying in Australia due to better career opportunities (63%).
- Around 23% of students are currently working in jobs related to their studies.
- More than 44% of former students are not working in jobs related to their studies.