UK maintains commanding 82% attractiveness among international education professionals, but nearly three-quarters of students are actively considering alternative destinations. ApplyBoard's Q3 2025 survey reveals significant shifts that agents and schools must address immediately.

Key Statistics: • UK: 82% attractiveness (remains #1) • Canada: 74% attractiveness (up 3 points, climbs to #2) • Germany: 60% attractiveness (up 7 points year-over-year) • Ireland: 50% attractiveness (up 8 points since Fall 2024) • Alternative destinations: 73% of students actively considering options beyond traditional choices

Critical Insights:

• Germany signals post-pandemic policy improvements
• Canada's is now in the second place and shows sustained momentum
• Ireland's consistent growth reflects EU access and tech sector appeal
• Traditional destinations (US, Australia) remain stable but aren't growing

Sources:

• https://www.applyboard.com/applyinsights-article/recruitment-partner-pulse-survey-fall-2025

Australia's international education sector is heading for a decade of stagnation with growth projected at just 2% annually through 2030 - a dramatic fall from nearly 10% pre-pandemic growth. Conrad and Eden examine how Australia's increasingly restrictive policies are reshaping the global education landscape while New Zealand pursues an aggressive expansion strategy.

Key developments discussed:

Australia has introduced the world's most expensive student visa fees at $2,000 AUD starting July 2025, alongside stricter English requirements and enrollment caps. The impact has been severe - VET and ELICOS visas have dropped 50% year-over-year, and English language courses now represent just 30% of international students, down from 50%. The new Genuine Student Test (GST) creates assessment barriers that favor larger universities over smaller VET providers, while disproportionately restricting growth from South and Southeast Asian markets.

Meanwhile, Australian universities have fallen an average of 238 places in global employer reputation rankings over the past decade, creating a skills mismatch crisis as students increasingly prioritize career outcomes when choosing destinations.

New Zealand is taking the opposite approach, announcing plans to double sector revenue by 2034 with 35,000 additional students. They've expanded part-time work hours from 20 to 25 per week, introduced multi-year visas, and fast-tracked visa processing for Indian students. The results show - New Zealand's post-pandemic growth is averaging 11% compared to Australia's projected 2%.

Sources

1. https://thekoalanews.com/how-bad-are-the-quality-problems-in-the-international-vet-sector/
2. https://www.qs.com/reports-whitepapers/australia-new-zealand-global-student-flows/
3. https://www.applyboard.com/applyinsights-article/australias-caps-refocus-student-demand-toward-university-programs

Conrad and Eden break down China's new K visa - a precision-targeted strategy to attract elite AI and STEM talent from top-tier universities. This isn't immigration reform; it's talent warfare in the global AI race.

Sources

1. https://english.www.gov.cn/policies/featured/202508/18/content_WS68a31850c6d0868f4e8f4ea7.html
2. https://thepienews.com/what-does-the-k-visa-mean-for-chinas-search-for-global-talent/