Indian students opting for Australia as immigration policies tighten in U.S., U.K.: Experts

Restrictive policies of countries like the United States and the United Kingdom concerning international students and post-study work might push more Indian students towards Australia, experts said.

Notably, India ranks second in international student enrolments to Australian universities between 2003 and 2024, according to data from the Australian government’s Education Department.

With a record 139,038 students, India made up 16% of the total number of foreign student enrolments in Australian universities in 2024, second only to China.

“Australia has remained a key destination for aspiring Indian students for the last many years. Currently, over 1,30,000 Indian students are enrolled in Australian universities, marking a steady year-on-year increase for the last five years. I see that in an upwards trajectory,” Vik Singh, Commissioner of Education at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), told The Hindu.

Mr. Singh highlighted that factors like restrictive policies in other countries, coupled with high global rankings of Australian universities, safety of students, and a liberal post-study work system have also made Australia a more appealing choice to Indian students than other destinations.

“Indians, in particular, can leverage a more generous post-study work system in Australia than most other international students. Courtesy of the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, Indian students can stay for a maximum of four years after completing their degree to work in Australia. So, academic excellence, liberal post-study work options, and a warm and welcoming environment put together can explain the increasing number of Indian students opting to go to Australia,” Mr. Singh said.

The Austrade Commissioner also underlined that Australia is one of the first countries to have branch campuses in India. 

“We have two universities, the University of Wollongong and Deakin University, operating with branch campuses in India. We have more branch campuses coming up in Mumbai and Delhi. These would greatly benefit students who wish to leverage a degree from Australia without leaving the country,” Mr. Singh said.

He added that there are about 430-odd partnerships between Australian and Indian institutions, offering students the opportunity to get a degree from a quality Indian institution as well as a quality Australian institution. 

According to data from the Australian government, the number of Indian students enrolling to Australian universities peaked in 2024, following a steady increase from 2015.

These observations assume importance in light of the United States’ recent decision to halt student visa appointments and check social media accounts of applicants for ‘anti-American’ sentiments. 

The Donald Trump government has also cracked down on existing student visa-holders and slashed funding for universities, leading to uncertainty among Indian students aspiring to pursue an education in the United States.

On the other hand, Britain’s Labour government, in a white paper released on May 12 this year, said that it will strengthen the requirements for sponsoring institutions to recruit international students, to prevent misuse of student visas.

The policy paper, titled ‘Restoring control over the immigration system’, also said that the U.K. government will “reduce the ability for Graduates to remain in the U.K. after their studies to a period of 18 months after their graduation”. 

Earlier, international students could stay in the United Kingdom for two years (or three years for PhD students) after graduation to work or look for jobs.

In June, the Australian government organised the ‘Festival of Australia’ in Kolkata, Coimbatore, Dhaka, and Colombo, to connect aspirants to representatives from Australian universities.