According to Acumen's report, over 100 training agents across India participated through online questionnaires and interviews.
Two-thirds of agents surveyed said the US (80%), UK (79%) and Australia (77%) were still the top research destinations, while 82% and 73% respectively said Germany and France were the leading developing countries. I believe that. Destination market.
The emerging study abroad markets for Indian students are Dubai (50%), Finland (41%), Singapore (31%), Italy (30%), Sweden (24%) and Denmark (21%). , the report was found.
The report stated that there are various drivers affecting students' study abroad, depending on changes in student demand and adjustments to immigration policies after COVID-19.
57% of agents said tuition and scholarships were the most important factors in recruiting international students post-pandemic, while immigration policy (54%), career opportunities (51%) and university rankings and reputation (50%) were also key factors. . Considerations for students.
More than 40% of agents believe that students are increasingly prioritizing the ease of the application process, quick turnaround times, and health and safety concerns before moving abroad.
Surprisingly, the report highlighted that only 31% of agents believed accommodation was a key driver for students, despite international student policy changes in countries such as Australia and Canada being closely linked to the housing crisis.
Agents now prioritize a clear demonstration of value and strong risk mitigation strategies, including rigorous verification of student documents and credentials and ensuring strong English language skills.
acumen
Forged documents have been a major concern among Indian students and international education stakeholders.
While forged admission letters led to the deportation of many Indian students in Canada last year, Germany has introduced APS, an academic assessment process, for Indians wishing to study in Canada in 2022 amid a rise in fake applications.
“Advisors now prioritize a clear demonstration of value and strong risk mitigation strategies, including rigorous verification of student documents and credentials and ensuring strong English proficiency,” the Acumen report said.
India's major first-tier cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai – often host the country's largest study abroad fairs, while third-tier cities such as Roorkee, Rohtak, Udaipur and Salem generate the largest number of applicants to study abroad. This applies to 88% of Acumen survey respondents.
Tier 1 cities came second with 75%, according to 50% of agents, while tier 2 cities like Amritsar, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Raipur and Kochi generated a decent number of applications.
States such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Punjab and Gujarat and smaller towns including Vijayawada, Guntur, Visakhapatnam, Rohtak, Roorkee, Jammu, Patiala, Indore, Bhopal and Kaithal are emerging as significant contributors to the international student market. , the report is highlighted.
The majority of agents surveyed (63%) said they received the majority of graduate school applications, with 33% receiving both graduate and undergraduate applications equally, and only 4% processing undergraduate applications exclusively.
More than 70% agree, with engineering, IT, business and health sciences dominating course choices among Indian students, with nursing, humanities and arts accounting for a decent proportion of applicants.
However, major policy updates in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada have left agents divided over the potential impact on Indian students.
Most agents expected a 20-30% decline in applications for the UK market due to policy updates, including a significant increase in the immigration health surcharge and changes to UK student visa rules for sponsoring dependents of non-research masters and undergraduate students.
Meanwhile, a 10-40% decline could be expected in the Australian market, according to agents surveyed. The Australian government has announced a new immigration strategy that will reduce post-study work rights, increase financial requirements for visa applicants and raise minimum English language standards.
Canada, which once outpaced other leading destinations in attracting Indian students, could see up to a 50 per cent drop in applications due to the two-year temporary study permit cap and increased cost of living requirements, agents surveyed said.
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