From US to Germany: Indian students eye ‘new-age’ study hotspots as strict visa rules, weak rupee spoil US, UK dream

Stricter visa requirements, immigration crackdowns, a weakening Indian currency, and bleak job prospects — all these factors have prompted many Indian students to reconsider studying abroad, especially in the US and Europe. The question many now ask is: Is it even worth it to burden oneself with hefty student loans, which may take forever to repay?

"The market is clearly showing signs of slowing down. We've already seen enrolments to the UK and US fall by 20 percent over the last two years, and I expect another 10-15 percent decline from those levels going forward," Sushil Sukhwani, founder of Edwise International, which sends thousands of Indian students to universities abroad each year, told the BBC.

Notably, in the UK, 76 percent of universities reported a decline in Indian student enrolments for the January intake, while in the US, enrolments fell by nearly 7 percent between February 2025 and February 2026.

Strict visa requirements in the UK and the US have already taken a toll.

India's Ministry of External Affairs had cited data in the Rajya Sabha in April this year to flag the "decline of about 6.9% in overall student enrolments in US academic institutions."

The ministry confirmed that visa "rule-breaking", increased scrutiny, and compliance requirements have had an impact on the number of US student visas issued to Indian nationals.

Meanwhile, a survey by the British Universities International Liaison Association (BUILA) released in April claimed that 70 percent of UK universities reported a fall in the number of international students starting postgraduate courses in January 2026.

“The findings suggest that the decline is being driven in part by universities taking proactive recruitment decisions ahead of tighter visa compliance measures, but there are also concerns that the Home OOice is refusing visas for reasons outside the control of higher education institutions,” the study stated.

The sharp fall in the rupee has posed a challenge to both prospective students and those already studying overseas.

"Many students who are already abroad have paid part of their tuition fees, but are now having to refinance loans and arrange additional funding to cover future instalments, with the rupee down more than 10 percent against the US dollar in the last year," Sukhwani told BBC.

According to his calculations, the Indian rupee has depreciated by between 35% and 47% against the currencies of major study destinations since 2019.

The BBC report shed light on the dilemma faced by students who aspire to study abroad in the hope of a more certain, secure future.

The report mentions the ordeal of one Pragati Priya, a 29-year-old content creator from Jharkhand, who decided to enrol in a master's programme abroad this year in hope that it will open the door to better professional opportunities in Europe

However, what makes her anxious is the amount she needs to borrow for her programme. The cost has risen sharply because of the steep decline in the value of the Indian rupee against a basket of currencies, including the euro, over the past few months.

"It has kept me up at night. I don't want to burden myself with a student loan that [I] will never finish [repaying]," Priya told the BBC over phone.