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Celebrating 40 Years: SBTA & SELA Extend Special Offers for International Students
US Tightens Visa Application Rules for International Students
Australia Exceeds 2025 Student Targets as Vocational and ELICOS Struggle
Denmark Tightens Rules for International Students Amid Migration Concerns
Hong Kong Targets Growth as an International Education Hub
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🔵 Edvisor ID: numainstitute |
📍Montreal, Canada 🗃️ New Promotions |
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This offer is valid for all registrations until November 15, 2025.
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Make the most of Halloween and help your students save and learn more.
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🔵 Edvisor ID: sbta |
📍 Sydney, Australia |
The Sydney Business and Travel Academy (SBTA) and the Sydney English Language Academy (SELA), along with their internal marketing and admissions teams, have extended and updated their promotions as part of their 40th Anniversary Celebrations.
The offers cover English (ELICOS) and VET programs across Sydney, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast. Launched in October 2025, this applies to all new applications submitted until December 19, 2025.
Developed in collaboration with the internal marketing and admissions teams, the update introduces bonus weeks, special package pricing, and a new Accelerated English format designed to support different learning goals and timelines.
The aim is to celebrate 40 years of quality education while providing partners and students with more value, flexibility, and competitive pricing across all campuses.
These promotions are available at all SBTA & SELA campuses in Sydney, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast, making it easier to plan pathways that combine English and VET.
Additionally, partners who wish to discuss the updated offers or explore partnership opportunities are invited to contact the team for details and next steps during this milestone year.
Canada welcomed 71% fewer international students in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, according to new data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Between January and June 2025, 36,417 students arrived, down from 125,025 the year before.
The decline follows the government’s 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, which aims to bring immigration to “sustainable levels” by reducing temporary residents, students and workers to less than 5% of the population. Measures include extending the study permit cap to master’s and PhD programs, increasing financial requirements, and discontinuing the Student Direct Stream in specific markets.
As of June 30, 2025, Canada had 546,562 study permit holders, nearly 20% fewer than in January 2024, while the number of combined study-and-work permits also dropped by 9%.
The US Department of State has updated its guidance for non-immigrant visas, including F-1, M-1, and J-1, advising applicants to apply only in their country of nationality or residence. This change ends the common practice of applying as a third-country national (TCN) in another country.
For nationals whose home countries do not have routine visa operations, applications must now be submitted at the designated embassy or consulate, unless the applicant resides in a different location. The Department noted that applying outside of nationality or residence could make it harder to qualify, while fees will not be refunded or transferred. Applicants should also expect longer wait times.
Visa appointments already scheduled before the September 6th guidance will generally not be cancelled.
The ruling raises concerns in countries where students previously sought faster appointments abroad due to long delays. Current wait times vary: some posts list wait times of under two weeks, while others, such as Lagos (11 months), Abuja (8.5 months), and Dhaka (5 months), highlight ongoing challenges.
Figures from Australia’s Department of Education indicate that the 2025 National Planning Level for new international students may be slightly exceeded, even as commencement data shows notable declines for vocational and ELICOS providers.
While Ministerial Direction 111 prioritizes all higher education and vocational student visa applications at Priority 1 until a provider reaches 80% of its indicative allocation, applications then move to Priority 2, with slower processing, resulting in longer timelines once that threshold is crossed.
As of 19 September, the sector had already reached 91% of its 269,300 allocation, with current and future commencements calculated at 275,100 (102%). Meanwhile, public universities are at 95% of their quota, while independent higher education providers have surged to 172%; by contrast, vocational commencements remain at 90%.
In the year to July 2025, the Department’s data reveals 347,834 commencements, down 15.8% YoY.
Universities experienced a decline of only 2.4%, while vocational commencements dropped 21.8% and ELICOS plunged 43.7%. These declines are linked in part to higher visa fees (A$2,000), which, in turn, stakeholders warn could place further pressure on providers if current policies remain.
The Danish government has announced new restrictions on international students, citing abuse of the system as a “backdoor to labour migration.” Measures include reducing the post-study job search period from three years to one year starting in 2026, and removing the right for non-EU students to bring dependents.
These rights had already been withdrawn this year for students at non-state institutions.
The Ministry of Immigration stated that the initiatives follow a surge in enrollments, particularly from Bangladesh and Nepal, where dropout rates are higher and students often end up in unskilled jobs.
Data show the number of Bangladeshi students bringing dependents rose from 286 in 2022 to 1,137 in 2024 (58%), while Nepalese dependents grew from 180 to 487 (77%).
By comparison, only 1% of Chinese and 2% of American students arrived with families.
Other measures include stricter entry exams, tougher sanctions for cheating, upfront tuition payments, and credential checks supported by Denmark’s National ID Center.
The Ministry said existing permits from Bangladesh and Nepal will also be reviewed.
In his annual policy address, Chief Executive John Lee announced new measures to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as an international education hub. From the 2026/27 academic year, the enrolment cap for non-local students at post-secondary institutions will rise from 40% to 50% of local student numbers, while the ceiling for funded postgraduate research places will increase from 100% to 120%.
Promotion of the “Study Hong Kong” brand will also intensify, backed by HK$40 million for state-funded universities to enhance marketing and recruitment.
The campaign, “Hong Kong: Your World-Class Campus,” will launch globally, alongside expanded study tours aimed at attracting international secondary school students.
To support the growth, the government will facilitate the redevelopment of commercial buildings into student residences, earmark new sites for housing, and advance plans for Universities of Applied Sciences and more international high schools.
Lee emphasized that Hong Kong is the only city with five universities ranked in the world’s top 100, underscoring its global competitiveness.