This report examines the evolving impact of the pandemic on the global international education sector focusing on five major destination countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US). It uses the most recent available data from the countries, with a focus on student visa data, to explore some of the changes occurring in this sector.

The report shows that all destination countries have experienced disruption to their international education sectors. The greatest reductions occurred in the middle of 2020, when countries introduced lockdowns and border restrictions in response to the first wave of the pandemic.

Countries where international travel remained possible, such as the United Kingdom and Canada, have recovered fastest, despite subsequent waves of the pandemic. The early indications are that new students are returning to these countries at levels close to, or above, pre-pandemic levels.