International Education Data Tracker
The numbers shaping international education — visa approval rates, student-visa fees, destination attractiveness, and market shifts. Each figure links to the episode it came from and its original source.
Readings are point-in-time as reported on the show; follow the source for the latest. Last reviewed June 2026.
Canada
| Metric | Latest reading | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Study-permit approval rate | 38% — a record low (62% rejected) | Ep 1The PIE News |
| Proof-of-funds requirement | CAD $20,000+ (roughly doubled from $10,000) | Ep 1The PIE News |
| Undergraduate permit approvals | First rise in five years (2025) | Ep 7The PIE News |
United States
| Metric | Latest reading | Source |
|---|---|---|
| F-1 visa duration | Proposed fixed ~4-year limits, ending open-ended "duration of status" | Ep 1The PIE News |
Australia
| Metric | Latest reading | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Student visa fee | AUD $2,000 (from July 2025) — the world’s most expensive | Ep 2ApplyBoard |
| VET visa grant rate | 42% (first 10 months of FY2025/26) — an all-time low | Ep 8ApplyBoard |
| ELICOS visa grant rate | 78% | Ep 8ApplyBoard |
| Student visas granted, FY2025/26 | ~193,000 (−8% year-on-year; roughly 2015/16 levels) | Ep 8ApplyBoard |
| Projected sector growth to 2030 | ~2% a year (down from nearly 10% pre-pandemic) | Ep 2QS |
New Zealand
United Kingdom
| Metric | Latest reading | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Destination attractiveness | 82% — ranked #1 (ApplyBoard Q3 2025 survey) | Ep 6ApplyBoard |
| Health/medicine share of new entrants | ~11% of new international entrants | Ep 3ApplyBoard |
| Computing/IT demand | +3 percentage points since 2019 (arts/humanities −5) | Ep 3ApplyBoard |
Germany & Ireland
| Metric | Latest reading | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Germany — attractiveness | 60% (+7 points year-on-year) | Ep 6ApplyBoard |
| Ireland — attractiveness | 50% (+8 points since Fall 2024) | Ep 6ApplyBoard |
China
| Metric | Latest reading | Source |
|---|---|---|
| New K visa | Launched 2025 — a targeted route for elite AI/STEM talent | Ep 5The PIE News |
Market shifts & companies
| Metric | Latest reading | Source |
|---|---|---|
| New-student volume, "Big Four" vs alternatives | Canada −56%, US −25%, Australia −22%, UK −18%; New Zealand +40%, Ireland +37% | Ep 1The PIE News |
| Students considering alternative destinations | 73% | Ep 6ApplyBoard |
| ApplyBoard valuation | ~$800M (−74% from a $3.2B peak) | Ep 4The PIE News |