Understanding this context is important for institutions establishing a presence in Colombia, where competition for students is intensifying. There are now about 75,000 Colombians studying overseas, and it is now common for up to 80 foreign universities and schools to be at Colombian education fairs promoting their programmes.

Rafael Minauro, senior partner manager at EdCo LATAM, notes:

ā€œInstitutions cannot rely on their websites to attract Colombian students. The focus should be on developing interpersonal relationships, speaking the same language, understanding unique needs, sharing experiences, highlighting graduate success stories, and developing confidence. This all takes time, but it really pays off in the long run when student enrolments consistently start to escalate.ā€

A growing market

A greater proportion of Colombian students can now afford study abroad than in the past. The economy has grown by an average of +3.5% a year for the past 15 years, helping to alleviate poverty and bring more of the population into the middle class.

Still, income equalities remain and are often pronounced along regional lines, making geographical segmentation essential. The report breaks down the industrial characteristics of each region to highlight which programmes may be especially interesting for students living there. For example:

ā€œStudents from BogotĆ” and MedellĆ­n may be more interested in technology, business and politics-related programmes, while students from Colombia’s Caribbean region may be drawn towards international trade, logistics, and commerce programmes.ā€

Demand for study abroad is strong in part because domestic higher education capacity is low and tuition at the highest quality Colombian universities is sometimes as expensive as tuition at well-ranked foreign universities.

There is ongoing demand for English-language studies, and growing interest in degree studies abroad.

The report notes that prospective undergraduate and graduate students tend to be quite different:

• Undergraduate-level Colombians tend to be younger than their peers in other countries due to the structure of their high-school system. They are often under the age of 18, and so need more care and support. Their parents are heavily involved in decision-making.

• By contrast, postgraduate-level students often have years of work experience and make more independent choices.

Overall, there is a significant base of potential students from which to recruit: 26% of the 53.5 million-person-strong population is between the ages of 14 and 28.

La Familia

Simon Terrigton, director and co-founder of EdCo LATAM Consulting, uses a personal anecdote to reinforce the dominant cultural feature of Colombia:

ā€œā€™La Familia,ā€ which means ā€˜Familyā€™ in Spanish, is something I have been thinking about recently. This weekend, my daughter and I made a Colombian Coffee mug at pottery and wrote ā€˜La Familiaā€™ on the mug as it perfectly sums up how Colombia and other LATAM countries prioritise family over everything else. I was surprised when in Colombia I had fixed plans (or so I thought) which were then changed due to a distant auntā€™s birthday or similar event!ā€

The report emphasises that including parents in campaigns, webinars, discussions, etc. is as important as marketing directed at students themselves. ā€œYou have to sell your UG programmes to parents, not students,ā€ says account manager Maria Elisa Rodriguez Cardazo. Maria continues:

ā€œParents always want to take care of us and when weā€™re oceans away, it can be tough for them. Universities should therefore involve parents and family friends from the beginning of the decision-making process.ā€

Beyond parents, there is another important advantage to keeping ā€œLa Familiaā€ in mind when recruiting in Colombia: “Providing a high-quality experience for one Colombian student often secures the future enrolment of siblings, cousins, extended family and friends.”

Representing current Colombian students on the institutional website through testimonials and a student ambassador option is also key. The report notes:

ā€œColombian students naturally gravitate towards existing Latin American cohorts on international campuses. By building a critical mass of LATAM students, you create a cultural gravity that makes your campus the default choice for others in the region. The bottom line is that success breeds scale.ā€

An agent-driven market

Approximately 60% of Colombian overseas enrolments came through agents, making Colombia the most agent-dependent market in Latin America. Comparatively, 47% and 46% of Brazilian and Mexican students, respectively, are enrolled through agents.

Which destinations are popular?

While the US higher education system boasts the most Colombian students (just over 10,200 in 2024/25), growth has stalled, with the number of students increasing by only +0.9% from 2023/24 to 2024/25. The Trump administrationā€™s immigration policies have had a major deterrent effect. found that nine out of ten ICE arrests in the first six months of Trumpā€™s second administration were Latinos. While Colombians are not among the most targeted of Latinos, the overall trend is naturally worrisome.

Despite °ä²¹²Ō²¹»å²¹ā€™s enduring popularity among Colombian students, visa policies are making it difficult for Colombians to make it to Canada for studies. Only about 5,800 study permits were issued to Colombians in 2025, down from just over 10,400 in 2023.

Australia is a top destination for Colombiaā€™s English-language students, but it is also attractive for higher education, especially for masterā€™s studies. In 2025, more than 2,300 Colombian students were enrolled in Australian universities. However, Australiaā€™s higher education system is quite dependent on its ELICOS (English-language training) sector for international enrolments, and that system is under immense pressure due to government policies. Fully 38% of Colombians begin in an ELICOS course before progressing to an Australian university programme.

The UK has a real opportunity right now. There were only 935 Colombian students in UK universities in 2024/25 (80% at the postgraduate level), but this was up +15% over the previous year, faster growth than from Mexico and Brazil.

Spain remains a favoured study destination, hosting more than 23,600 Colombian students in 2022/23. A primary driver of demand is the common language (Spanish). Mobility is also being spurred by between the Colombian and Spanish governments for the mutual recognition of degrees, diplomas, certificates, and tests allowing Colombians access to Spanish universities and vice versa.

The report notes that France and Germany are steadily gaining traction, enrolling about 4,000 Colombian students each.

For additional background, please see:

• ā€œMarket Snapshot: International student recruitment in Colombiaā€
• ā€œAre you paying enough attention to parents in your recruitment marketing?ā€

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The Brazilian Educational & Language Travel Association (BELTA) administered two online surveys from February to April of 2026. Respondents to the first survey included over 2,200 students from all over Brazil who had already studied abroad or who were interested in doing so. The second survey included representatives in various positions at 74 education agencies. More than half of agents were owners of their business.

Study abroad is common, especially for short programmes

Most surveyed Brazilian students had already had at least one international education-related experience (85%). Top languages for study are English (68%), with Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German rounding out the top five.

Nearly half of respondents studied abroad for less than three months (49%), while 26% were in exchanges of fourā€“seven months and 24% were abroad for more than eight months.

Demand is strong, especially for language learning

About 70% of students are interested in going abroad to study in the future. About 4 in 10 are planning to go in the first or second semester of 2027, while another 3 in 10 are aiming for 2028 or later.

The preferred programme type for Brazilian students is language learning (46%), especially when a language course allows for temporary work (26%). About a quarter are interested in degree studies, with equal interest for postgraduate and undergraduate levels.

How students research and organise study abroad

The main channel on which students research study abroad options is Instagram (24%), with smaller percentages choosing YouTube, Facebook, or TikTok.

In terms of in-person resources, students turn first to agents (15%) followed by education fairs (9%).

When selecting an agency, students are first and foremost looking for someone who can help them find trustworthy study abroad experiences (22%). Students also value agents being easy to contact (16%), offering personalised service (13%), and being compatible with their budget (11%).

Most agents place language students and high school students

The top five programme types that surveyed agents place students into are language courses, summer/winter holiday courses for teens, high school exchanges, language courses with a work component, and shorter sub-degree programmes. Undergraduate and graduate programmes followed in sixth and seventh place, respectively.

Agents said that most students arenā€™t just interested in studying: they want to travel, work, learn a new language, and experience a different culture. A primary goal of obtaining an international qualification or career is less common.

Traditional destinations are still the most popular

Agents put Canada, the US, the UK, Ireland, and Malta as the top five destinations for students, which makes sense given that English remains the preferred language to study. Spain is also popular among the significant segment of students looking to study in Spanish.

The mood is optimistic

Most surveyed agents had a good year in 2025. More than half of agents (53%) said they sent more students abroad than in 2024. Another 17% sent about the same number, while 30% sent fewer. The average growth in placements from 2024 to 2025 was 9.5%.

Close to three-quarters (73%) of agents expect to send more students in 2026, a far greater proportion than those who expect the same or lower volume (17% and 10%, respectively).

“We see the Brazilizian market remaining strong and mature, selling all programmes and all destinations with good numbers,” says BELTA President Alexandre Argenta. “Higher education programmes look like the programmes with more increasing figures than before.”

But much will depend on certain factors

Agents said that currency fluctuations can either make a deal ā€¦ or break it. A favourable final currency exchange rate was the most cited reason for a sale, and a currency devaluation was the main reason for a sale being made difficult or impossible.

Affordability is overall a major issue for students. Alongside currency devaluation, a reduction in a studentā€™s purchasing power, an exchange rate increase, an increase in the cost of living in a destination country, and an increase in flight costs are all among the top 10 factors that can persuade a student not to follow through on a placement.

The economic impact of the Middle East conflict on Brazilā€™s economy

The Brazilian real has recently weakened against the US dollar amidst ongoing fighting between the US-Isreal against Iran-Hezbollah in the Middle East. If this currency devaluation persists, it will naturally be more difficult for Brazilian students to go abroad in 2027.

Other economic impacts of the widespread Middle Eastern conflict on Brazil are both positive and negative. Brazilā€™s crude oil exports are increasing, especially to China and India, as the Strait of Hormuz remains a dangerous crossing for Gulf-based oil companies. Additional oil revenue is helping the Brazilian government to minimise the conflictā€™s impact on domestic food and fuel prices.

However, Brazil also imports 25% of its diesel, and it is the worldā€™s biggest importer of fertilizers. Most of these imports come from Gulf countries through the Strait of Hormuz. With diesel imports restricted, transportation and airfare costs are rising. With fertilizer imports limited, two of Brazilā€™s top exports ā€“ soybeans and meat ā€“ are in jeopardy. 

In Brazil, as in most other countries, the Straitā€™s reopening cannot come soon enough.

Even so, Mr Argenta adds that, “Our currency is about 5% stronger this first semester comparing to the average exchange rates in 2025. We may see some devaluation in the second semester mainly due to our Presidential election, which usually bring some friction to the market, but economic expecations are similar to last year, so this should not affect much our market in 2026.”

For additional background, please see:

• ā€œMarket snapshot: A guide to international student recruitment in Brazilā€
• ā€œBrazilian agents reporting strong growth this year with many exceeding pre-pandemic volumesā€

The post Brazil: New surveys show strong, but price-sensitive, demand for study abroad appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ¹ŁĶų Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The data comes from the JAOS Research Institute and is based on a survey in 2025 of 41 of its members. Unlike data from Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) and the Japanese government (MEXT), which focuses primarily on degree-seeking and/or exchange students, JAOSā€™s survey broadens the focus to include working professionals and K-12 students. In doing so, it rounds out the JASSO and MEXT numbers for a comprehensive understanding of Japanese student mobility.

The government target for outbound mobility is to have 500,000 Japanese students studying abroad by 2033. There has been progress towards this goal, and group-based educational travel ā€“ versus individual travel ā€“ is the main reason for this.

Group travel is on the rise, individual outbound is down

Collectively, the 41 service providers surveyed sent 168,930 students abroad in 2025, of whom 138,420 went for ā€œOverseas Educational Travelā€ (e.g., group tours and study trips). The remainder (30,510) opted for going abroad on their own to study in a language school, participate in a working holiday, or pursue a degree.

Two trends emerged in 2025: educational travel is becoming a more popular option in Japan (82% of the market), while significantly fewer students are going abroad for individual studies (-43.5% in 2025 compared with 2024).

This decline, says JAOS, is largely due to two reasons:

• Students no longer have to study abroad to learn English. This has turned into an option rather than a need because the International Baccalaureate (IB) as well as Cambridge International programmes are now widely available in Japanese schools.

• Dual diploma programmes and foundation courses are now common in the country, and so students can prepare for foreign degrees at home before travelling abroad.

JAOS notes: ā€œThese options have turned study abroad into a diverse path rather than a simple binary choice of ā€˜going or staying.ā€™

A younger crowd

Students from junior high schools, high schools, and local governments made up 85% of the education travel segment for JAOS member schools in 2025, with the remainder from universities and vocational schools.

Top destinations overall

Australia is the favoured destination, followed by Taiwan and the US (Chart 1). Significant numbers of students also travel to Singapore, the UK, Canada, the Philippines, New Zealand, South Korea, and Malaysia.

Of Australiaā€™s draw, JAOS says:

ā€œAustralia’s popularity is attributed to the widespread availability of Japanese language education and a school calendar that aligns well with Japanese travel seasons. It is also viewed as a stable and safe English-speaking alternative to the USA amidst policy uncertainties and safety concerns.ā€

The survey also found rising interest in Asian destinations including Taiwan, Singapore, Philippines, and Malaysia. Reasons for this, says JAOS, include ā€œproximity, lower costs, and the availability of English-taught programmes at international branch campuses.ā€ The association adds that students are aware of tightened international student policies in Canada and Australia and of the anti-immigration rhetoric of the current US administration. These conditions are also propelling Asiaā€™s rise in popularity among Japanese students.

Destination preferences across different market segments

For educational travel, there are distinct preferences depending on studentsā€™ age (Chart 2). Among younger students ā€“ a much larger sample segment than university/vocational students ā€“ Taiwan and Australia are where the largest numbers study. University and vocational students are more spread out across destinations for educational travel, with Australia, the UK, and US in the top three positions

As for Japanese students going abroad on their own (Chart 3), most are language students (65%) who enrol in programmes of under three months. The next-largest segment (16%) is also language-focused, but for studies lasting for longer than three months. Just under 9% are high-school students.

New Zealand is the main draw for junior high and high-school students participating in private or exchange programmes rather than language-specific programmes, commanding 54.5% of this niche market. Canada and Australia round out the top three, and JAOS says all three countries have good reputations for providing strong student supports ā€“ which is of course very important for younger students.

Other factors influencing Japanese student mobility

Affordability is ever-more a concern in Japan. The yen has been weak against the US dollar for months, making travel to many destinations more expensive. And, as in Europe, Japan is facing inflationary pressures due to the USā€“Israel/Iran war and its effect on oil supply and prices. Costs are rising, household purchasing power is eroding, and consumer confidence is fragile. More affordable Asian and EU destinations are increasingly appealing in this context.

Students also have more reason than ever to remain in Japan for university studies. Japan has an exceptionally low youth unemployment rate (3.9% in 2025), thanks in large part to its rapidly ageing population. This demographic shift is the main reason that young Japanese have excellent job prospects right out of university, in contrast to recent graduates in many other countries. There are widespread skills shortages across the Japanese economy, creating a strong position for young Japanese graduates to not only to land a desirable job, but also to negotiate salaries and positions.

Despite these trends, there is enduring motivation for Japanese students to go abroad both for English-language and degree studies. Speaking with the last year, Tatsuhiko Hoshino, an international relations officer at (JAOS) said:

ā€œMany Japanese people feel both admiration and a sense of inferiority when it comes to acquiring English proficiency. They keenly recognize that studying English domestically does not sufficiently build their language skills, and as a result, they are strongly motivated to improve their English through studying abroad.ā€

This suggests that if Japanese students have the option of study abroad for English in particular, they prefer this to study at home. But price sensitivity is increasing due to foreign currency issues and the conflict in the Middle East. Understanding which prospects have become more influenced by the costs of studying and living abroad will be key to remaining competitive in Japan.

For additional background, please see:

• ā€œJapan surpassed its foreign enrolment target of 400,000 in 2025ā€
• ā€œJapanese outbound numbers reached 90% of pre-pandemic levels in 2024ā€

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The survey gathered responses from 211 international buyers and agents responsible for organising youth group travel to the UK, including school groups, educational tours, and language programmes. Just over half (54%) of the responding buyers and agents were located in Europe, with the balance based in non-European “long-haul markets.”

Half of the respondents reported that demand for group travel to the UK is weaker than in 2025, with a similar proportion (56%) indicating that the UK is now harder to sell than in the past. Nearly four in ten (37%) expect bookings to decline in 2026 with only 12% reporting stronger demand relative to 2025.

“While demand has not disappeared,” BETA adds, “the data suggests that conversion is being constrained by a combination of cost pressures and access barriers.”

The respondents referred to rising accommodation, transport, and programme fees in particular, alongside less favourable exchange rates against the British pound. They noted as well the increased administrative burden for schools and group travel organisers, particularly the friction introduced by requirements for visas, electronic travel authorisations (ETAs), and passports in the post-Brexit marketplace.

ā€œTeachers are filling in tons of lists and doing too much paperwork,ā€ said one respondent. “Organising school trips is becoming more time-consuming and complex than it needs to be,ā€ added another.

At the same time, competition is increasing from other destinations in Europe where, in the words of one survey participant, “EU competitors are much cheaper with less strict entry requirements. Another said: “We are losing groups to destinations that are easier to access and more affordable.”

Finally, the survey observed an apparent impact from world events. As BETA explains, “Among responses received before late February, 45% reported weaker demand for 2026. This rose to 55% among those responding after the escalation of geopolitical tensions, indicating a clear impact on confidence and booking behaviour.”

The survey results also point to levers that would boost the UK’s attractiveness for international youth travel: greater price certainty or improved affordability for group bookings and especially streamlined visa and entry processes and a reduced administrative burden generally.

ā€œWhat this data shows very clearly is that demand for the UK is still there, but it is becoming harder to convert that demand into bookings,” said BETA Executive Director Emma English. “International partners are telling us they are facing increasing challenges around cost, complexity and confidence.”

“This is a highly organised, group-based market, and small changes in policy or process can have a significant impact on whether a trip goes ahead or not. If we want to remain competitive internationally, we need to ensure the UK is as accessible, affordable and easy to navigate as possible for schools, students and the organisations that support them.ā€

The significance of that outlook is underscored by ongoing reporting from English UK, which makes it very clear that youth group travel plays a significant role in the ELT sector.

In the most recent full-year reporting (2024), junior students accounted for 62% of English language course enrolments in the UK, and 33% of all student weeks.

For additional background, please see:

• “UK ELT reports challenging enrolment trends continued through last quarter of 2025“
• “Economic impact of UK ELT estimated at nearly Ā£2 billion“
• “UK ELT reports a decline in student weeks for 2024“

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Martijn is then joined by an expanded panel for a discussion on sustainable recruitment through a China-to-UK lens.

The panel includes Christina Ke, Managing Director of UOffer Global; Dave Amor, Founder and Director of Higher Insights; Jian Li, Deputy Director (Education) with the British Council; Cheryl Xu, Director of China Office for the University of Portsmouth; Kiran Patel, Senior Director Commercial and Deputy Head of China with The China-Britain Business Council; and Tony Lee, Chief Visionary Officer at ŗŚĮĻ¹ŁĶų.

The discussion occurs as the UK has solidified its position as the preferred study destination for Chinese students, recently overtaking the US on the strength of its strong higher education brand and the efficiency of its postgraduate models.

However, Chinese families are becoming increasingly results-oriented, prioritising employability and return on investment over rankings alone, while the UK governmentā€™s International Education Strategy has shifted the focus toward “sustainable” growth.

This creates a new landscape where value, student experience, and strict compliance are paramount, and our panel considers what this means for UK recruitment in China going forward.

You can listen right now in the player below, and we encourage you to subscribe via your favourite podcast app in order to receive future episodes automatically.

For additional background, please see:

• “ŗŚĮĻ¹ŁĶų Podcast: Are you using the right digital channels to reach international students?“

The post ŗŚĮĻ¹ŁĶų Podcast: Sustainable international student recruitment from a UK-China perspective appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ¹ŁĶų Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The existing structure for student visas in the UK provides an important backdrop for these changes. In brief, to sponsor a student visa, a UK university or school must be a registered student sponsor. This entitles the institution to issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) which is in turn required for the student’s visa application.

The updated published on 7 April 2026 (“Document 2: Sponsorship Duties”) includes a new section that outlines the responsibilities of sponsor-institutions pertaining to education agents.

The updated rules carry two main implications for sponsor-institutions in their work with agents.

First, agency details must now be included on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS): “Sponsors must record agent details on the CAS where the sponsor has used an agent in the recruitment of the sponsored student.”

Second, sponsors must not only commit to the Agent Quality Framework (AQF), but be able to demonstrate that compliance: “All student sponsors using recruitment agents must retain evidence of how they are managing agents in line with the AQF and The National Code of Ethical Practice for UK Education Agents, as applicable to the school, further education, pathway and higher education sectors.ā€

Agency details on the CAS

Related guidance from outlines the agency details that must now be included in the CAS.

This amounts to:

• Agent company name (the formal legal name as used in the agency contract)
• Agent contact name (indicating the primary agent contract contact)
• Agent address (which refers to the specific office or branch from which the student was recruited)

The Home Office indicates otherwise that this provision applies to all cases in which the sponsoring institution was engaged with an agent on the student file, “even if this is a one-off recruitment and/or the recruitment was done without a formal ongoing contract with the agent or third party.”

In the event that a sub agent was involved with the file, the CAS must provide details of the primary agent (as opposed to the sub agent).

If an agent or advisor was engaged directly by the student for application support or other advisory, and where “that third party was not used by the sponsor as part of the recruitment process,” the agency details need not be included in the CAS.

Moving beyond voluntary compliance

The 7 April guidance effectively enshrines the Agent Quality Framework (AQF) for sponsor-institutions in the UK, a distinct progression from what has essentially been a voluntary compliance regime to this point.

The Home Office sets out that, “All student sponsors using recruitment agents must have committed to adhering to the key principles of the (AQF).”

Further, sponsors are now required to document how they are managing agents in line with the provisions of the AQF and .

What this will mean in practice is not yet clear, but it does set up a requirement for more structured and systemic reporting as to how a sponsor is in compliance with the AQF and The National Code. In broad terms, the provisions of The National Code extend additional reporting and documentation requirements to agents, along with specific training requirements, including completion of the .

Commenting on the updated guidance on , Avinav Sharma, Executive Director, Global Partnerships at MSM Unify, said:

“For agents and counsellors, the message is equally direct. If you have not completed your UK knowledge training and signed the national code of ethical practice, you are operating without the credentials this framework now demands. Your digital badge and certificate are no longer nice-to-haves. They are proof points that your sponsor partners will need to show UKVIā€¦This is the UK government signalling that the recruitment channel will be held to the same compliance standard as the institutions themselvesā€¦Is your agency ready for this level of scrutiny?”

For additional background, please see:

• “Narrowing bands of compliance: How the UKā€™s new RAG system will impact international student recruitment“
• “UKā€™s stiffening compliance regime already having an impact on international student recruitment“
• “How the UKā€™s Agent Quality Framework will shape the future of agent training“
• “Who decides about quality? Education agents and the question of increased regulation“

The post UK Home Office publishes updated visa sponsor guidance for “agents and third parties” appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ¹ŁĶų Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

But agent use is rare in the ascending study abroad destination of Japan. The number of international students in the country increased by to 435,200 in 2025, up +8.2% over 2024. The jump was driven by a record number of student commencements, and it means that Japan has already surpassed its target of 400,000 international enrolments by 2033.

This growth inspired ŗŚĮĻ¹ŁĶų to participate in a study on Global Agency Perspectives on Japan. ŗŚĮĻ¹ŁĶųā€™s Martijn van de Veen and Megumi Kawai co-authored the study with Shigetoshi Akamatsu, International Officer at Waseda University, and with Dr Hiroshi Ota, Professor at Hitotsubashi University as a senior advisor. The team gathered survey responses from more than 300 agencies from 68 countries through the first quarter of 2026 and found that 79% of responding agencies have never formally partnered with a Japanese university.

Unlike in the Big Four, there is a murkier understanding in Japan of what agents are and what they can do. Agents are often seen as ā€œbrokersā€ responsible for transactions rather than services ā€“ an understanding that would apply to a mere fraction of agents worldwide.

Dr Hiroshi Ota offers an important correction on this point:

ā€œThere is a persistent misconception in Japan that agencies are merely ā€˜brokers.ā€™ In reality, professional, accredited agencies act as highly experienced education consultants that are essential for sustainable growth.ā€

An ā€œindispensableā€ asset

A found that 92% of more than 500 colleges and universities surveyed across North America, Australia, and the UK consider agents ā€œindispensable for recruiting international students.ā€

The Global Agency Perspectives on Japan survey illuminates why this is the case. Of the agents surveyed:

• 97% manage application and admission support;
• 95% provide students with initial counseling and career guidance;
• 92% handle visa and pre-departure briefings (one of the most complex hurdles for students entering Japan);
• 90% actively promote their partner schools and institutions on social media;
• 70% represent their universities at international student fairs.

These are all crucial components of moving prospective international students from awareness to enrolment.

Agents want to work with Japanese partners

The Global Agency Perspectives on Japan survey found great interest among agents to work with Japanese universities (a score of 4.4 out of a possible 5 for ā€œvery highā€ interest).

For Japanese higher education institutions, this strong demand on the part of agents provides potential access to an immediate global footprint that would otherwise take years to build.

When asked what they thought were main barriers that could prevent students from considering study in Japan, the consensus was lack of awareness about what Japan offers. Three-quarters (75%) cited ā€œlack of awareness/brand recognition of Japanese universities,ā€ and the same proportion cited a ā€œperception that programmes are not taught in English.ā€ More than half (52%) pointed to ā€œlack of information and marketing materials from universities.ā€ These three reasons were much more frequently mentioned than other concerns that are less solvable, such as competitiveness from other destinations (38%), limited post-study work opportunities (31%), and difficult visa procedures (29%).

Said one respondent, ā€œThe main reason [for not working with Japanese partners] is that we didn’t have enough information about Japanese universities, particularly the selection process for African students.ā€

ā€œOur focus has previously been on other destination markets, and we are now preparing to expand into Japan,ā€ said another.

Responding agents were also quick to point out Japanā€™s strengths as a study destination, noting especially Japanā€™s reputation for technology innovation, the quality of Japanese education, career opportunities for foreign graduates, and the relative affordability of study in Japan.

As one respondent said, ā€œJapanā€™s biggest advantage isnā€™t just culture or technology ā€“ itā€™s that Japanese education is directly linked to real job opportunities in high-growth industries.ā€ Another agent added that, ā€œJapanā€™s single greatest selling point is its unmatched combination of world-class technology and engineering education and extremely affordable study and living costs compared to other top destinations.ā€

Why Japan is expanding and diversifying its international enrolment

While Japanā€™s aging population is a significant concern, the crisis facing higher education is even more acute: the number of 18-year-olds has already halved from its 1991 peak of 2.07 million to just 1.06 million in 2024.

With this demographic projected to fall to 0.88 million by 2040, Japan must attract international talent at an unprecedented scale ā€“ not just to fill classrooms, but to create a pipeline of skilled graduates who can join the local workforce and support the governmentā€™s broader economic goals.

Currently, Japanese universities are heavily reliant on China, Nepal, Vietnam, South Korea, and Myanmar. These five countries contribute nearly 80% of Japan’s international student body. To diversify beyond these markets and to attract top researchers from advanced economies, Japan needs prospective students to understand that there are:

• Many English-taught programmes offered by leading Japanese universities;
• Newly improved Japanese-language supports for foreign students and workers to better integrate them into society and the economy.

This is especially urgent given the increasingly competitive marketplace for international student recruitment and as Japan is now working hard to attract the worldā€™s best students, alongside other top Asian competitors such as China, Malaysia, and South Korea.

For additional background, please see:

• “Japan surpassed its foreign enrolment target of 400,000 in 2025ā€
• “From the Big Four to the Big Fourteen“
• “Canada and the US are losing international student enrolments to Europe and Asia“
• “Asia ‘consolidating as the leading destination region’ for international students“

The post Study finds strong agent interest in partnering with Japanese universities appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ¹ŁĶų Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The guidance includes details of a new red-amber-green (RAG) banding scheme that sets up what could be, as Jim Dickinson wrote on , “a system more punitive than many in the sector were expecting.”

The regulatory background

In order to apply for a student visa for the UK, an international student must first obtain a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) document. Only a sponsor ā€“ that is, an educational institution licensed by the Home Office to sponsor international students for visas ā€“ may issue a CAS. In effect, the sponsor is vouching for the student-applicant and his/her eligibility to study in the UK.

That sponsor status places a number of obligations on the institution, and particularly that a sponsor must apply for a (BCA) every 12 months.

When UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) carries out the BCA, it currently assesses the sponsor based on the following thresholds for three “core requirements”:

• a visa refusal rate of less than 10%;
• an enrolment rate of at least 90%; and
• a course completion rate of at least 85%.

The linkage between the three is quite explicit: the institution is expected to carefully evaluate each applicant to determine that they are eligible for admission but also, once admitted, will have a high likelihood of following through to take up their spot in their intended programme of study and then go on to successfully complete that programme. In other words, the university or college’s ability to continue to admit international students rests on its ability to recruit qualified, bona fide students that are committed to their intended programme of study.

Sponsor institutions that fall outside of those benchmarks are subject to a variety of sanctions, the most extreme of which could lead to the revocation of the sponsor license ā€“ meaning in effect that the institution could no longer admit foreign students.

The new BCA thresholds

A May 2025 UK government immigration white paper set out a number of new requirements for UK institutions, including more stringent compliance thresholds. Specifically, sponsoring institutions must now maintain:

• a visa refusal rate of less than 5%;
• an enrolment rate of at least 95%; and
• a course completion rate of at least 90%.

The draft guidance from the Home Office indicates that the first two of those new compliance benchmarks will come into effect on 1 June 2026. The course completion threshold will remain at 85% until June 2027, at which point it will rise to 90%.

RAG time

The Home Office guidance sets out that, “A sponsorā€™s performance against the three metrics composing the BCA will be rated in a Red-Amber-Green (RAG) banding system.”

Essentially, sponsors with a red rating are operating at or below one or more of the BCA requirements. An amber rating indicates that the sponsor is in danger of non-compliance with respect to one or more of the key benchmarks, whereas a green rating means that the institution is more comfortably within the compliance threshold.

The margin for error, however, is notably slim across the key BCA metrics. The following table summarises the band ranges for each requirement.

“Look at the width of the amber band ā€“ or rather, the near-total absence of it,” says Wonkhe’s Dickinson. “On refusals itā€™s a single percentage point. On enrolment itā€™s a single percentage point. On completion itā€™s two. The amber band is extremely narrow.” In other words, the distance to travel between green and red is very narrow indeed.

The significance of those very tight thresholds is driven home by another key aspect of the RAG system: there is no overall scoring across metrics; rather, the sponsoring institution’s rating will be based on their lowest-rated BCA requirement.

The Home Office guidance sets out that: “The RAG rating system is not an aggregate. A sponsorā€™s rating shall be determined by their lowest rated metric, which will take precedence over any other metricā€™s score. For example, if the sponsor falls into the red category for their refusal rate, yet falls into the green category for both their enrolment and completion rates, they will receive a red RAG rating.”

Against the advice of sector stakeholders, including Universities UK, the Home Office also intends to make sponsor ratings public, indicating that “a sponsorā€™s RAG rating will be published on the student sponsor register.” This provision will apply to the first BCA assessment cycle after 1 June 2026, meaning that public ratings won’t likely be available for a critical mass of UK higher education institutions until spring or summer 2027.

Recruitment impacts

“We welcome stronger compliance in principle, but the cumulative impact on UK recruitment should not be underestimated,” says Peter Skillen, the Director of Governance, Risk, Assurance, and Compliance at Study Group. “What may appear to be a technical tightening on paper could have a real chilling effect in practice. The governmentā€™s white paper proposed raising each BCA metric by five percentage points and introducing a new RAG banding system, but the draft guidance appears to go further in the way that framework is operationalised. With narrow amber bands, a lowest-metric-wins approach, and final warnings that can remain active for five future Basic Compliance Assessments, institutions may become increasingly selective in their recruitment behaviour, particularly in emerging markets. The risk is that the system becomes more draconian and overbearing for institutions, compelling them to carry out ever more stringent compliance checks and absorb growing administrative burdens. The unintended consequence may be a UK system that is less accessible to genuine international students, with some institutions deciding that recruitment from certain countries is no longer viable.”

The new BCA compliance thresholds were first announced almost a year ago in the government white paper in May 2025. In the months since, there have been a number of signals that institutions are both anticipating and responding to a more stringent compliance regime.

There is after all a significant exercise of risk management at the heart of the CAS-sponsor-compliance model as the three key BCA metrics rest a great deal of responsibility for student performance and student outcomes with the institution itself.

“The rationale behind the new RAG scheme is hard to argue with: stronger compliance should help ensure universities issue CAS only to genuine, wellā€‘prepared students, protecting educational standards and the UKā€™s international reputation,” says Diana Beech, the Assistant Vice-President (Policy & Government Affairs) at City St. George’s, University of London.

However, the schemeā€™s razorā€‘thin thresholds and ‘lowestā€‘metricā€‘wins’ approach are not without risk. With so little margin for normal variation, even responsible institutions could be pushed into the red ā€“ and publishing these ratings will only intensify that pressure. The result may be overly cautious recruitment, fewer opportunities for legitimate students, and a narrowing of global engagement.

Enhanced compliance matters. But it needs a framework that is proportionate, supportive, and avoids penalising compliant institutions for factors they cannot fully control.ā€

Indeed, some institutions are already responding reducing or suspending recruiting activities in countries that are seen to be associated with higher risk. “Higher risk” in this sense being defined as markets where students are more likely to not follow through on their study plans or to complete their programmes of study ā€“ often for reasons relating to academic background, language skills, or financial difficulty.

In July 2025, for example, London Metropolitan University said that it would suspend admissions for Bangladeshi students. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Gary Davies has attributed the decision to high rates of visa refusals for Bangladeshi students in particular, which were putting the university’s compliance at risk.

Earlier this month, the University of Derby said that it too would suspend student recruitment from Pakistan and Bangladesh over concerns that visa refusal rates for applicants from the two countries were simply too high.

Other UK institutions have reportedly ā€“ although less publicly ā€“ made similar decisions to limit or suspend admissions from specific markets and/or for particular fields of study where there is seen to be undue compliance risk.

On their face, any such moves are extreme measures and regrettable in that they limit opportunities for bona fide students from markets that are seen to have high risk levels attached. But they also perfectly illustrate the dilemma that UK universities now face under the new BCA benchmarks. With such narrow RAG bands ā€“ a green rating requires, for example, that universities maintain a visa refusal rate under 4% ā€“ an individual university must either take additional steps to more fully qualify prospective students before issuing a CAS or they have to limit (or even suspend) recruitment in markets or channels that are judged to have greater compliance risk.

Needless to say, each of those broad courses of action carries significant additional costs ā€“ in terms of real expenses, risk, or foregone opportunities ā€“ for institutions, partners, and students alike. In the meantime, the Home Office has indicated that it is actively engaged in discussions across the sector around the draft guidance and that final guidance and details for implementation of the more stringent BCA requirements will be published shortly.

For additional background, please see:

• “UKā€™s stiffening compliance regime already having an impact on international student recruitment“
• “UK sets out new immigration strategy, will reduce Graduate Route work term to 18 months“
• “UK: International student numbers fall for second year, especially in postgraduate programmes“
• “How the UKā€™s Agent Quality Framework will shape the future of agent training“
• “Who decides about quality? Education agents and the question of increased regulation“

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