Prediction of halving of international students

The latest immigration data released by the UK Home Office on August 8 shows that the number of international students wishing to study in the UK has dropped significantly. Specifically, the number of student visa applications in July decreased by about 15% compared to the same period in 2023, maintaining a continuous decline since the beginning of this year. Similarly, the total number of student visa applications from January to July (56,800 applications) also decreased by 16% compared to the same period last year.

However, the UK Home Office also noted in the report that the number of student visa applications usually peaks before the new academic year begins, which is between July and September. Therefore, the agency believes that it will have to wait until the end of that period to assess the full impact of the new policies issued by the UK government this year, including restrictions on international students bringing relatives and raising work visa standards.

The Guardian commented that although the number of international students enrolled in 2022 and 2023 is very high, the situation in 2024 is not very optimistic. Rising inflation makes it difficult for universities to collect enough tuition fees from domestic students. Therefore, they are more dependent on international students who have to pay much higher tuition fees. The sharp decline in international students makes it even more difficult for universities.

This has led to some leading UK universities such as UCL expanding their marketing efforts to non-traditional markets, even in the Caribbean such as Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Martin to attract students. Other universities such as York, De Montfort and Salford have turned to some countries in South and Southeast Asia, according to The Telegraph .

Some UK universities are predicting that the number of new international students will halve this year, particularly in one-year postgraduate courses. A previous survey of 75 institutions by the British Universities International Liaison Association (BUILA) found that 90% had fewer applications from international students for the autumn term than they had in 2023.

Aim to reduce immigration

A spokesman for the Home Office told The Times that the government had detailed plans to reduce record immigration levels by tackling the problem of over-recruiting foreign workers and focusing on training domestic workers. "Immigration brings many benefits to the UK, but it must be controlled and implemented fairly," the spokesperson said.

Previously, throughout the first months of the year, the UK continuously adjusted its visa policy with the aim of cutting 300,000 net immigrants each year. The measures included: raising salary requirements to sponsor workers to stay and work, restricting international students from bringing their relatives to the UK (except those studying postgraduate research courses or courses funded by the government), shortening the list of sponsored occupations...

These moves have made the UK less and less attractive to international students. Recent surveys from international education organizations such as IDP and AECC have shown that Australia, the UK and Canada are no longer the top choices for international students due to changes in international education policies regarding visas and work rights. In contrast, the US, Germany and New Zealand are receiving more attention in the current context.

According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), Vietnam ranked 20th in the number of international undergraduate students in the UK in 2022 with 7,140 people. This is the highest number recorded in the past 5 years. In particular, the cost of studying at the undergraduate level in the UK ranges from 10,000-26,000 pounds/year (308-800 million VND). For medicine, tuition fees can be up to nearly 68,000 pounds (2 billion VND).