The United Kingdom may be off the radar of international students as a major destination for overseas education. New rules for international students in Britain may drive them to other countries. The latest data from Enrollee Data Insights predicts a sharp decline in the number of international students enrolled in the United Kingdom in January 2024 compared to 2023.
There has been a dramatic decline in various key parameters indicating a slowing in the intake of international students into UK universities. The report shared numbers which revealed a 52% decline in total deposit payments as compared to January 2023, a 64% decline in issuance of Confirmations of Acceptance to Study (CAS) and visa issuances. There has been a 71% reduction.
The report indicated that India, the UK's largest market, would also see a major decline in student numbers, with deposits falling by 52% and CAS/Visa issuances falling by 66%.
The large decline in deposit, Visa and CAS activity, compared to the same point in the January 2023 intake, is an acceleration of similar trends seen in the September 2023 intake, where enrollees reported declines in the key Nigerian and Indian markets.
Although some universities are running additional December admission programs this year, the outlook on overall numbers remains bleak: when December and January figures are combined, they show a 49% drop in deposits and in CAS releases compared to January 2023. represent a reduction of 60%.
Given the sharp decline in intake compared to this point last year, the report also notes that it is worth noting that we are entering the final two to three weeks of peak processing for the upcoming intake.
A tough phase may be ahead for the recruitment of international students in the UK. After years of rapid growth, the numbers are being affected by various global factors. These include competition from abroad, the United States and Australia recording significant growth after lifting pandemic restrictions, as well as changes in visa policies in the United Kingdom.
Two major changes to UK visa rules could affect student numbers at UK universities. Firstly, international students will no longer be able to leave the student pathway and convert to job pathways, such as skilled worker and other sponsored work visas, before completing their studies. Second, foreign students will no longer be allowed to bring their relatives unless they are enrolled in postgraduate research programmes.
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