The UK has confirmed it is easing the visa process for visiting Chinese nationals. The changes could allow Chinese tourists – who under current laws have the right to study in the UK for up to 30 days – to apply for a UK visa and Schengen visa at the same time, enabling easier access to other European countries.

Malta is keen to make visas more available for non-EU students in order to continue the market's growth trajectory according to Minister for Education and Employment Evarist Bartolo who spoke at the annual EFL Monitoring Board conference this month.

Australia's English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) sector has reported a 4% drop in numbers for the 2011 calendar year. The number of enrolments fell to 134,440 from 140,102 in 2010 marking the third year in a row that the market has seen a decline in numbers since it peaked in 2008.