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US president Barack Obama has called on congress to make it easier for international students to work in America after they graduate. He criticised current regulations, saying the US was educating then sending home highly skilled graduates with no benefit to the economy.

A leading university association is lobbying the British government to change the way it counts migration figures by excluding international students. Universities UK (UUK) has suggested that by doing so, further restrictions on non-EU student visas could be avoided.

Despite the great expectations surrounding visa reforms introduced in September, Australia still has a way to go before it halts its recruitment downslide, after latest figures indicate that education exports fell by 15% in 2011. Some commentators fear further slides before visa changes impact on numbers.

The inflow of 鈥渘ew鈥� international students 鈥� those applying for a visa for the first time 鈥� to New Zealand has slowed considerably since 2008/9. The total number of first time student visa applicants grew rapidly from 27,337 in 2005/6 to 41,702 in 2008/9, but fell to 38,345 in 2009/10. It grew only slightly to 38,561 this year.

A new online funds verification service has launched in beta-mode in the USA. It could revolutionise the way universities and governments verify the financial standing of international students, side-stepping the need for paper copies of bank documents, speeding up the recruitment process and reducing visa fraud.

To protest against the excessive delays faced by Saudi Arabians traveling to Canada, Saudi embassies are deliberately prolonging processing times for Canadians travelling the other way. Agents in South America back up claims that Canada is slow-going as regards visa issuance.

The Australian government today announced that more international students, will enjoy the extension of post-study work arrangements agreed in September 鈥� a sign of its continuing ambition to boost the country鈥檚 international education sector.

The UK has become a less welcoming study destination due to its tough new visa rules and problematic visa application process, a survey of international students confirms today. A total of聽5,000 overseas students on UK university and college courses were polled, with one in five saying they no longer felt welcome in the country.

During Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos' visit to the UK this week, agreements were signed to expand educational ties between the two countries, although agents point out that tighter UK visa rules will not help build outbound student traffic from Colombia.

Taiwan is to join the UK鈥檚 Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme, paving the way for 1,000 young Taiwanese to come to Britain to work, travel or study. The agreement, which was finalised this month, will allow participants to stay in the UK for a two-year period on a multiple-entry visa...

International education earnings in Australia have fallen by AU$2.5 billion in the last 12 months, according to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.聽The sector is reported to have earned $15.1bn in the four quarters to September this year, compared with $17.6bn over the preceding 12 months 鈥� a fall of 14 per cent. […]

The UK will see a marked slowdown in student recruitment from Nigeria and India over the next four years, according to new forecasts in a study by the British Council, while Canada may see gains because of cheaper tuition fees..

The USA is recognising the role that international students play in developing the economy, and it has launched a "Study in the States" initiative to encourage more of the 鈥渂est and brightest鈥� science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) students to study and lawfully remain in the country. This means a promise to review regulatory policy, streamline visa applications and expand..

As many as 650 international students are waiting to find out whether they will be replaced at other colleges, after a business school offering degrees accredited by the University of Wales closed..

The Australian government has spectacularly reacted to the Knight review by adopting all 41 of its recommendations, published last week, ushering in new visa policies for international students in Australia from 2012 that will have far-reaching consequences. In a complete policy mis-match to the UK, which is restricting access to the employment market for international […]