Ministry of External Affairs data released on 19 December show 1.2 million Indians enrolled overseas in 2025—a 5.7 % decline from 2024 and the first drop in a decade. Analysts attribute the slide to tighter visa regimes, higher living costs and post-study work restrictions across Canada, the United States and Australia.
Canada illustrates the headwinds: only 9,955 new study permits were issued to Indians between January and August 2025, compared with 76,000 in the same period of 2024, and refusal rates hit 71 %. The U.S. likewise saw F-1 issuances to Indians fall 44 % year-on-year in H1 2025 despite continued on-campus growth.
![Outbound Indian student numbers dip 5.7 % as visa uncertainty reshapes destination choices]()
For Indian students trying to steer through these shifting visa requirements, VisaHQ can be a useful ally. Its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) provides real-time policy updates, document checklists and streamlined application tools that help reduce errors and delays, making it easier to secure the right study visa in an increasingly competitive environment.
By contrast, the UK maintained high approval rates (96 %) and Germany doubled its Indian student cohort to nearly 60,000 between 2020 and 2024, signalling a diversification trend. France, Ireland and New Zealand also reported double-digit growth in Indian enrolments.
Education-mobility advisers say families are becoming more risk-aware, weighing exchange-rate swings and post-study work options before committing hefty tuition deposits. Universities courting Indian talent are therefore expanding scholarship budgets and offering hybrid or pathway programmes that reduce upfront visa exposure.
Canada illustrates the headwinds: only 9,955 new study permits were issued to Indians between January and August 2025, compared with 76,000 in the same period of 2024, and refusal rates hit 71 %. The U.S. likewise saw F-1 issuances to Indians fall 44 % year-on-year in H1 2025 despite continued on-campus growth.
For Indian students trying to steer through these shifting visa requirements, VisaHQ can be a useful ally. Its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) provides real-time policy updates, document checklists and streamlined application tools that help reduce errors and delays, making it easier to secure the right study visa in an increasingly competitive environment.
By contrast, the UK maintained high approval rates (96 %) and Germany doubled its Indian student cohort to nearly 60,000 between 2020 and 2024, signalling a diversification trend. France, Ireland and New Zealand also reported double-digit growth in Indian enrolments.
Education-mobility advisers say families are becoming more risk-aware, weighing exchange-rate swings and post-study work options before committing hefty tuition deposits. Universities courting Indian talent are therefore expanding scholarship budgets and offering hybrid or pathway programmes that reduce upfront visa exposure.
