The 10th iteration of Navitas’ Agent Perception Survey has revealed the rising importance of affordability, post-study work opportunities and visa certainty shaping study decisions, as students continue applying to more destination countries.
The May 2026 survey, capturing the views of 870 education agents across 64 countries, lays bare the repercussions of tighter immigration policies, which are also turning away genuine, strong students, the report showed.
“Visa uncertainty leads to visa anxiety, which drives unintended consequences,” Navitas chief insights officer Jon Chew told The PIE News.
“Governments may be intent on improving quality and integrity of student visa grants, but their actions may be having the opposite effect by putting off the very students they are trying to attract.”
Chew highlighted that 41% of agents strongly agreed that lower visa acceptance rates discourage some of the strongest potential students from applying, even when they are genuine and well-qualified.
The findings come amid significant policy volatility and immigration restrictions across traditional destinations, with over three quarters of survey respondents indicating students are applying to more destinations outside the ‘big four’.
The survey highlighted New Zealand as a notable beneficiary of this trend, taking the lead over the ‘big four’ in terms of relative interest.
For their part, Australia maintained its second position, the UK dropped from first to third place, Canada improved considerably though remained in fourth place, while interest in the US fell far below competitor nations.
A similar pattern emerged in terms of student trust, with New Zealand coming out on top, followed by Australia, an improving Canada, a declining UK and the US scoring highly unfavourably.
At the same time, visa processing was viewed the most favourably in the UK and New Zealand, followed by Australia, with Canada and the US lagging behind.
[Government] actions may be having the opposite effect by putting off the very students they are trying to attract
Jon Chew, Navitas
While policy uncertainty and visa barriers have damaged interest in traditional destinations, Chew said he was surprised by the resilience of Australia which has seen considerable volatility itself, though is largely still considered an attractive place to study.
“For those in the industry, it’s hard to conceive how agents can continue to hold this view in light of policy volatility, high visa application charges, and high visa refusals out of South Asia.”
“The survey results temper the gloom with recognition that Australia continues to be an attractive destination particularly given the strong opportunities to work while studying and generous access to post-study work rights,” said Chew.
That being said, the survey revealed a broader shift in interest away from the ‘big four’. While the war in the Middle East has resulted in a fall in interest in the UAE, Europe remains consistently attractive and interest in Singapore continues to grow, stated the report.
Of all the destinations and domains, New Zealand was the clear frontrunner, scoring highly for openness, safety and stability. It was followed by Germany, Singapore and Australia.
Elsewhere, the survey highlighted evolving student needs, revealing a large rise in the proportion of agents noticing an increased need among students for academic support, which rose from 68% in 2025 to 78% this year.
Similarly, 82% of agents noted increased demand for social and mental health support among students, compared to 71% last year.
“This begs the question, what could be driving these agent concerns around increased need for support, especially since the pandemic aftershocks should have well dissipated by now,” said Chew, urging institutions to take note of the findings to ensure international students receive the support they need to succeed.
Elsewhere, cost was cited as the top factor (82%) influencing student choice, driving students to consider home-country study. Nearly three-quarters of agents indicated applicants were more likely to study in their home-country as a backup, and 68% agreed students were more likely to give up international study plans due to affordability concerns.
Access to post study work rights (61%) and quality of education (54%) remained important to students, the agents reported, while cost pressures, changes to visa rules and safety topped the list of student concerns.
For the first time, the survey explored the role of AI in student decision-making, finding that while it is changing how students research their options, agents continue to play a central role in validating or interpreting AI information for students.
