Indian students abroad
[22] According to data furnished in India's Rajya Sabha in 2021, the number of Indian students registered in Australia was as high as 92,383.
[6] In the second half of 2022, India overtook China as the number one country lodging student visa applications in Australia.
[25] In March 2021, Indian students and other temporary visa holders staged protests in Delhi and Chandigarh, objecting to Australia's uncompromising approach that kept them out of the country for a year despite the COVID-19 cases in India being relatively low at the time.
[28] In the first half of 2023, reports emerged that students from Punjab and Haryana were banned or restricted from applying to five Australian universities.
[34] With the ban being extended further, Indian students from Punjab reportedly travelled to Canada through Moscow, Mexico, Serbia, Qatar, Dubai among other locations, paying up to three times the regular air fare.
[37] Canada is a preferred destination for Indian nationals due to strong diasporic presence of the community and the benefits offered by the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
[32] Policy experts suggest that Indian students intending to go to the US are instead moving to Canada because of the former's unfavorable quota-based H-1B visa program.
[41] Students with poor academic records and those from less fortunate financial backgrounds were refused study permits, according to Narpat Singh Babbar, a Canadian education consultant.
[42] 700 students from Punjab faced deportation from Canada early in 2023 after it came to light that their education offer letters were fake.
In June, Canada's immigration minister Sean Fraser said genuine students who are victims of fraud would be allowed to stay after an investigation.
[59] Students seeking international education are profoundly impacted by the programs they select and the less academically and pedagogically proficient departments that deliver them.
Many international students from India perceive a U.S. degree as a gateway to work visas and enhanced job opportunities, often using it to navigate the absence of clear, legally accessible pathways to achieve their U.S. aspirations.
However, the financial burden of pursuing these degrees, coupled with uncertainties in securing employment in labor markets characterized by less proficient knowledge, skills, and refined abilities, poses significant challenges.
High tuition costs, combined with a low return on investment, can leave students in considerable debt, particularly when academic programs lack strong faculty expertise or resources.
These factors underscore the difficulties international students face in achieving their goals, emphasizing the need for both government and educational institutions to proactively address these issues.
[62] First-time student visa applicants expressed their concerns about shut embassies and limited staff availability, with many postponing their study plans.
Indian-American advocacy groups have criticized the outdated frameworks and systems, especially in comparison to those of countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, arguing that it leaves qualified Indian professionals in the U.S. waiting decades to obtain permanent residency, despite their significant contributions to the economy and society.
They say that the current exploitative visa schemes coupled with the systemic inefficiency is one which forces immigrants to "engage in a life of indentured servitude," reflecting the thirteenth amendment.
[65] For many Indian students, the prospect of securing permanent residency through legal recognition of their contributions is a key motivator for studying in the U.S.
Russian medical universities are renowned for their excellent infrastructure, world-class education, highly qualified faculty, comfortable accommodations, and innovative technologies.
[75] As of March 2022, 18,000 Indians living in Ukraine, mostly students, were evacuated from Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova as part of Operation Ganga.
[91] From June 23, 2021, UAE eased travel restrictions with India, allowing Indian students access to Dubai's educational institutions.
[92] Dubai's Indian schools reported 50% on-campus attendance rates for pupils studying in the post-spring break session in 2021.
[95] As of May 2021, scores of Indian students are unable to return to their colleges in Bangladesh due to travel restrictions in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
