The average time to process a visa, including student visas, has been knocked down to just 16 days according to Australia’s home affairs department.

The application and visa process for international students in India is to be made easier with the government's new Study in India portal.

Institutions in the UK are “considerably ahead of the game” for the upcoming Autumn intake, with overall CAS issuance, deposits and visa issuances up year-on-year. 

A survey of Finland’s universities of applied sciences has revealed that increasing numbers of students are finding themselves unable to enter the country due to visa issues. 

Visa processing times globally are continuing to impact the recovery of the international education sector, with Canada at the most disadvantage, stakeholders suggest.

Visa processing data from Enroly indicates that the current rate of visas issued is not keeping pace with recent increases in CAS issuance, during the peak period for applications.

IRCC is experiencing challenges keeping up with a visa backlog as a result of the sheer volume of international student applications, which some stakeholders contend have been an "additional challenge" for international students during the pandemic.

IRCC has said that all study permit applications are assessed equally regardless of the country of origin, after stakeholders pointed to high refusal rates in Africa.