Students in India are struggling to secure US visa appointments as companies buy interview appointment slots to sell on at higher prices. 

Students hoping to be travelling to Canada to enrol on courses are suffering from visa delays more than counterparts who have chosen alternative study destinations, sector stakeholders have said.

Canada is experiencing a backlog of over 2.1 million visa applications, causing difficulties for international students to obtain study permits.

Agents have hailed Australia's reopening plan from December 1 as a "sigh of relief" and say it will help to "put Australia back on the map for international students".

IDP’s recent acquisition of British Council's IELTS operations in India has raised concerns from multiple agencies in the country around dual language testing and student recruitment business interests, with a prior case lodged with the Competition Commission of India being cited.

Students and agents in India are awaiting vaccine clarifications in popular study destinations, particularly around the Covaxin and Sputnik V vaccines.

In “first major signal” that 2020 will see some Indian students travel to campuses, a selection of UK VACs will reopen in India on July 6, according to VFS Global.

Manoeuvring through the student visa application process can be a trying experience and the rules constantly evolve as immigration policies change to suit the political climate. Sara Custer spoke with 20 major education agencies about the visa journey and charted their insight into the pros and cons of systems in top study destinations.