Indian students weigh visa risks before studying abroad

New Delhi: More than a fourth of Indian students aspiring to study overseas identified visa difficulties as a major challenge, according to the findings of IDP Education’s Emerging Futures 9 report released on Tuesday, highlighting that policy uncertainty and increasing costs are reshaping global education decisions among Indian applicants.

The study found that 28% of Indian respondents considered visa-related hurdles as a key concern while affordability pressures also weighed heavily on students’ plans. Among those who had dropped plans for overseas education, 43% said tuition costs were beyond their financial reach and 32% pointed to increasing living expenses as a major barrier.

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Despite these concerns, career outcomes remained the primary driver for Indian students pursuing overseas education. Around 41% identified strong post-study career prospects as the leading measure of value for money, ahead of teaching quality (31%) and industry-aligned skills (27%). The figures were notably higher than global averages, underlining the sharper return-on-investment focus among Indian students.

“Students today are placing greater emphasis on outcomes, employability, affordability and certainty while making destination choices,” IDP Education said in a statement. “Their destination choices have become more focused and depend on long-term return on investments.”

The report also showed Indian students narrowing their destination preferences earlier in the decision-making process. The proportion of students considering only one country increased from 19% to 22%, indicating more targeted application strategies amid changing geopolitical and economic conditions.

Traditional destinations continued to dominate student preferences globally, with Australia, the UK, Canada and the US remaining the top choices. However, Indian students increasingly differentiated destinations based on employability, visa pathways and education quality.

Australia emerged as the most preferred destination for 41% of Indian students, benefiting from its established reputation and perceived balance between education quality and employability. Indian students considering Australia prioritised career outcomes after graduation (42%) and industry-aligned skills (29%).

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The US remained strongly associated with career outcomes and networking opportunities, with 46% of Indian students linking it to strong post-study career prospects and 34% associating it with career connections and professional networks. Canada was viewed favourably for course-related work opportunities, while New Zealand recorded the strongest association with post-study work rights and career outcomes.

Confidence in destination quality also remained high. Around 63% of Indian students considering Canada and the US believed those destinations would help them develop skills relevant to future careers, compared with 56% for Australia and the UK.

The ninth edition of the Emerging Futures report was based on responses from more than 5,800 students across 118 countries and regions.