The Mitchell Institute at Victoria University has released a new report that shows that overseas students are flocking to countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States in record numbers, despite the pandemic. However, the count of new international students enrolling at Australian and New Zealand universities continues to decline.

Study of International Education and the Pandemic, Student, Interrupted, looked at five major international student destinations: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

According to our data, the early waves of the pandemic resulted in a considerable decrease in the number of new international students enrolling. Countries that have unlocked their doors to overseas students, on the other hand, have witnessed a large increase in international students.

The findings of the study point to a complex situation in which the pandemic had a wide range of consequences for international students from all over the globe.

According to the latest figures, the count of new Chinese students is still smaller than it was before the pandemic. In certain source countries, such as India and Nigeria, numbers are at all-time highs, while in others, they are at historic lows.

International education is a crucial component of how many countries approach it when it comes to education investment—the findings of the study highlight how governments are focussing their efforts on attracting international students.

There was a decline for everyone, and there was also a rise for some of them.

Data on student visas were analyzed to determine how the pandemic affected potential overseas students. Data on student visas is a leading indicator because most students require a visa to enroll.

The figure below depicts the total number of new student visas given to each country in the 12 months running up to September of each year from 2018 through 2021. Since the outbreak, the number of new students has declined in every country affected. On the other hand, some people have been impacted more severely than others.

By far, the United Kingdom has made the most progress in this regard. The number of new international students has reached an all-time high, having increased by 38 percent since the beginning of COVID.

Annual data may disguise the devastation wrought by the outbreak. Countries implemented differing degrees of restrictions throughout 2020 and 2021, leading traditional enrollment patterns to be altered.

Due to the rapid return to an increasing trend of immigration in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, there is pent-up demand among students who are waiting for border crossings to reopen. More international students should enroll if this is the case, as travel to Australia and New Zealand is becoming more accessible.

What are the policy repercussions of this development?

Analysis of international education may be a game of statistics, with discussions focusing on trends in enrollment and the economic impact of overseas students on host countries. Despite this, there are important repercussions for public policy.

For instance, there has been a great value of discussion about how geopolitical conflicts affect the choices of international students. According to our data, administrative impediments and travel restrictions are more likely to blame for the decline in the number of Chinese international students studying abroad.

International students also contribute significantly to the total money spent on higher education. Student fees collected from international students in Australia contribute to around 27 percent of total institution revenue. International student withdrawals from educational institutions, particularly universities, can considerably impact the institutions themselves.

Because of the pandemic, government officials seek to establish and develop their countries' international educational infrastructures.

According to a statement, the Biden administration in the United States declared a "renewed commitment to international education" in July 2021. According to the United Kingdom government, the value of international education is to be increased by 75% by 2030.

However, although the pandemic has had a considerable impact on foreign education, the ground has been set to return to a highly competitive international education market.