2025 is shaping up to be a great year for international students, with several popular study destinations rolling out updates that make life and studying abroad a little easier.

In Canada, over 100 academic programs have been reinstated to the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility list, including degrees in health, education, STEM, and skilled trades. This means students starting now will have more career options after graduation, with opportunities open through early 2026.

The UK has also made some notable moves. The Graduate Route Visa now lasts 18 months, giving graduates more time to work and explore skilled migration pathways. At the same time, tighter sponsorship rules aim to boost quality and strengthen the overall student experience.

Over in Australia, the government is emphasising education quality, even with higher visa fees, while New Zealand has extended student work rights and sped up visa processing with plans to introduce multi-year visas soon.

Despite ongoing challenges like U.S. visa backlogs, the overall picture is looking brighter. Universities in the UK, in particular, are seeing a surge in international applications, especially in trending fields like AI, data science, business, and management, driven by students from India and South Asia.