‘They arrive for skilled jobs, end up in…’: Indian-American student leader on challenges faced by international students
For years, studying abroad has been a dream for many Indian students seeking better career opportunities. But a combination of stricter visa rules, weaker job markets and a falling rupee is making that dream harder to achieve.According to education experts, Indian students are facing financial uncertainty as traditional destinations such as the US, the UK, Canada and Australia tighten immigration policies and offer fewer employment opportunities after graduation.Sudhanshu Kaushik, founder of the North America Association of Indian Students in Washington, said many students are finding that the reality abroad differs from their expectations.“They arrive hoping to secure skilled jobs in the fields they trained for and end up working in the gig economy. Earlier, that work helped fund their education. Now many are graduating and doing it full-time,” Kaushik told the BBC.India remains the world’s largest source of international students, with more than 1.2 million Indians enrolled in higher education institutions overseas in 2025.Sushil Sukhwani, founder of Edwise International, said students to the UK and US have already fallen significantly.“The market is clearly showing signs of slowing down. We’ve already seen enrolments to the UK and US fall by 20% over the last two years, and I expect another 10-15% decline from those levels going forward,” he said.Tighter visa regulations are playing a major role. In the UK, 76% of universities reported a decline in Indian student enrolments during the January intake. In the US, enrolments fell by nearly 7% between February 2025 and February 2026.Despite the challenges, demand for international education remains strong overall. However, experts warn that countries such as the US and UK risk losing one of their most important student populations.“The depreciating currency, the job market, the rise of AI, the visa issues and the current [Donald Trump] administration’s policies have all combined to create a perfect storm. No one wins,” Kaushik said.“The students suffer, the universities suffer, college towns suffer and the broader economy suffers.”He added: “We are retreating from the gains we made in promoting higher education as one of our most influential and profitable forms of soft power.”
