Asian countries boost international student recruitment as US, UK, Canada, Australia tighten rules

Asian countries are stepping up efforts to attract international students as the US, UK, Canada and Australia tighten rules on overseas enrolments, according to Rosalind Skillen's Times Higher Education report. China, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong are expanding their international education ambitions as students from Asia increasingly look closer to home for higher education.

The shift comes as the four major English-speaking study destinations see a decline in international student flows. Applications from Indian students to US colleges fell 15% in 2025-26, while UK sponsored study visa applications dropped 11% in the year ending July 2026, the report said.

Also Read: Indian applications to US colleges fall 14% as international demand weakens


Australia recorded a 15% decline in new international enrolments last year, while Canada's international enrolment is estimated to have fallen nearly 30% in 2024-25.

Asia raises international student targets

Several Asian countries are moving in the opposite direction.

South Korea reached its target of 300,000 international students two years ahead of schedule. Japan also crossed its target of hosting 400,000 international students by 2033 eight years early.

Hong Kong has decided to increase the permitted share of international students from 40% to 50% of total enrolments from next year.

China had 380,000 international students from 191 countries and regions in the 2024-25 academic year. Asian students accounted for 61% of the total, followed by African students at 16%, according to figures cited by Times Higher Education.

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Why students are choosing Asia

Improving higher education systems, lower costs and changing demographics are helping Asian countries attract more overseas students.

Countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore are also facing ageing populations and declining birth rates. This has increased the need to attract young skilled workers from overseas, the report said.

China has become an important alternative for students who may previously have considered Western destinations. Its improving academic quality, lower costs and growing regional job markets are among the factors drawing Asian students, according to the report.

China also provides scholarships and subsidies to international students and has introduced pathways covering internships, work permits and residence extensions for some international graduates, particularly in STEM and other priority fields.

Can Asia retain foreign graduates?

Attracting students is only one part of the challenge. Asian countries will also need to create conditions that encourage international graduates to remain after completing their studies.

China is becoming more selective about the international students and talent it wants to attract. From 2028, international applicants to Chinese universities will have to take the China Scholastic Competency Assessment, reflecting a greater focus on academic standards and degree-seeking students, the report said.

South Korea is also dealing with concerns over illegal work and visa overstays among some international students. At the same time, foreign graduates can face difficulties entering local job markets because of language requirements and work visa rules.

Hamish Coates, executive dean at Holmes Institute in Australia, told Times Higher Education that the key test for Asian countries would be whether they could make it “feasible not just to recruit foreign talent but to retain them”.

The changing policies in the US, UK, Canada and Australia could therefore accelerate intra-Asian student mobility. But the long-term success of Asian education hubs will depend on whether they can turn rising international enrolments into sustained foreign talent retention.