Fresh numbers released by the Reserve Bank of India under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme reveal a 23.3 % year-on-year fall in August 2025 outward remittances tagged “studies abroad”, down to USD 319 million. Analysts link the decline to tougher student-visa policies in key destinations—the US, UK and Canada—as well as a weaker rupee.
Canada’s approval rate for Indian study-permit applications has plummeted to 30 %, while US F-1 visa issuances dropped 19 % in the August intake. The UK’s decision to curtail dependent visas from January 2025 has further dented demand. Education-consultancy chains report a 28 % fall in fresh counselling enquiries this quarter.
For banks and mobility-finance teams, lower tuition-fee transfers translate into reduced forex revenue but may also ease pressure on India’s current-account deficit. Universities in Tier-2 Canadian provinces and smaller UK colleges are scrambling to diversify, offering aggressive scholarships to retain Indian enrolments.
Parents appear to be deferring overseas study plans or pivoting to more affordable destinations such as Germany and the Netherlands, where tuition is low and visa approval rates remain above 75 %. Travel-insurance providers likewise anticipate a softer intake season.
While the data reflect only one month, analysts say the trend is unmistakable and could reshape the global education-mobility corridor that has long been dominated by Indian students.
Canada’s approval rate for Indian study-permit applications has plummeted to 30 %, while US F-1 visa issuances dropped 19 % in the August intake. The UK’s decision to curtail dependent visas from January 2025 has further dented demand. Education-consultancy chains report a 28 % fall in fresh counselling enquiries this quarter.
For banks and mobility-finance teams, lower tuition-fee transfers translate into reduced forex revenue but may also ease pressure on India’s current-account deficit. Universities in Tier-2 Canadian provinces and smaller UK colleges are scrambling to diversify, offering aggressive scholarships to retain Indian enrolments.
Parents appear to be deferring overseas study plans or pivoting to more affordable destinations such as Germany and the Netherlands, where tuition is low and visa approval rates remain above 75 %. Travel-insurance providers likewise anticipate a softer intake season.
While the data reflect only one month, analysts say the trend is unmistakable and could reshape the global education-mobility corridor that has long been dominated by Indian students.
