The report, based on government data, third-party research and ApplyBoard's fall 2026 surveys of student advisors and students, found the same pattern across the major English-speaking destinations. According to the report, the United Kingdom received more than 303,000 study visa applications from main applicants from January to September 2026, down 20 percent from a year earlier, while Germany, South Korea and Japan kept growing.
Nearly three in four student advisors surveyed this fall said their students were interested in a destination outside the Big Four of Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. According to the report, 57 percent of international students surveyed by UCAS used AI to explore their study options, though only 7 percent trusted it for important decisions.
The findings matter for Canada because, as the report notes, the major English-speaking destinations are losing student demand precisely when aging workforces need newcomers most. Fewer international students also affects college and university budgets and the communities around them.
For students still weighing Canada, the report suggests the competition is shifting: destinations in Asia and Europe are gaining ground, and the use of AI in choosing where to study is now mainstream, even if final decisions still rest with people.