2025 in Review: A Year of Reset for Global International Education
The year 2025 marked one of the most disruptive and defining periods for international education in over a decade. Across major destination countries, the sector experienced a forced reset driven by regulation, political pressure, integrity concerns, and shifting student demand.
1. Transnational Education (TNE) Gained Momentum
As traditional onshore recruitment slowed, Transnational Education (TNE) emerged as a key growth area. Universities increasingly invested in offshore delivery models, partnerships, articulation programs, and online-to-onshore pathways. TNE allowed institutions to diversify risk, maintain enrolments, and meet demand in markets where student mobility became more constrained.
However, it came with many issues, such as underpayment, exploitation and harassment, which led to many new applications for protection – as no other option for those visa holders.
2. ELICOS Sector Under Pressure, Cautious Optimism for 2026
The English language sector faced one of its most difficult years:
- Declining commencements
- Shorter average study durations
- Visa processing delays and refusals
- Increased operating costs
- High profile providers closure
While 2025 was marked by contraction, yet there is cautious optimism for 2026, driven by:
- Gradual visa stabilisation
- Renewed interest from Latin America and parts of Asia
- Increased pathway alignment between ELICOS and higher education
However, sustainability will depend on tighter compliance, better student quality screening, and more diversified recruitment models.
3. Visa and Compliance Pressure has intensified.
Across Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US, governments increased scrutiny of international education systems:
- Higher visa refusal rates
- Expanded compliance and monitoring frameworks
- Stronger enforcement against non-genuine providers and agents
Australia, in particular, saw:
- Significant ESOS Act reforms
- Enhanced data reporting obligations
- Greater scrutiny of education agents and recruitment practices
This signals a clear shift: international education is now treated as a regulated economic sector, not a loosely governed export industry.
4. VET Sector Under the Microscope
The Australian VET sector faced one of its most challenging years:
- Approximately 30,000 vocational qualifications were cancelled or invalidated (not CRICOS providers, one must add!)
- Multiple providers exited the market or lost registration
- Stronger alignment was enforced between training delivery, genuine skill outcomes, and labour market needs
The era of volume-driven enrolments is effectively over.
5. Shifting Global Demand and New Growth Markets
While traditional markets slowed, new and re-emerging markets gained momentum, including:
- New Zealand, positioning itself as a stable, quality-focused destination
- Germany, driven by skills shortages and structured pathways
- UAE, emerging as a regional education hub with strong government backing
These markets are increasingly attractive for students seeking stability, post-study pathways, and alternative migration outcomes.
6. 2025: A Year of Correction, Not Collapse
Across the board, 2025 forced education providers, agents, and institutions to confront long-standing structural weaknesses. The year was less about growth and more about recalibration:
- Stronger compliance frameworks
- More selective recruitment
- Increased emphasis on quality, transparency, and long-term sustainability
The message from regulators and markets alike was clear: the era of volume-driven international education is over; the era of credibility-driven growth has begun. Let’s focus on 2026 becoming the best year in a while!
All the best in 2026.
#ESOS #PRISMS #EducationCompliance #AgentManagement #InternationalEducation #Educli