Amber Beat Global Student Accommodation Market News - February 2026, Week 04

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Amber Beat is a weekly snapshot of the key developments in top student accommodation markets. This newsletter provides you with all the information you need to know, from new upcoming projects to current trends, news affecting students to government policies, we’ve got you covered!

Amber Beat | News from February 21-February 27, 2026

United Kingdom

• UK government to replace BRPs, BRCs and visa vignettes with mandatory e-visa system from February 2026 (Source)
• Unite Students posts £232.3M earnings (+9%) with 4% rental growth and 95.2% occupancy in 2025, completes £530M Empiric deal and £186M London sale, raises portfolio focus on top-tier universities to 80% (Source)
• Indian nationals dominate UK visa extensions in 2025 with 95,231 study visas, 90,031 skilled worker renewals and 90,153 Graduate Route grants, Home Office data shows (Source)
• Coventry approves 236 studios and 770 cluster beds in major 1,006-bed PBSA development near University of Warwick (Source)
• Following £530M acquisition, Unite moves to restore Empiric performance with £17M synergies and full occupancy target by 2027/28 (Source)
• 465-bed student housing scheme near Old Kent Road set for approval in Southwark (Source)
• Lambeth Council backs HB Reavis’ plan to transform office building into 233-bedroom student scheme (Source)
• Kelvin Properties secures £18.8M Bank of Scotland funding for 134-studio Glasgow PBSA scheme, completion targeted ahead of the 2027/28 academic year (Source)

United States of America

• QS Global Student Flows report projects 1% annual decline in US international enrolment to 2030, with Indian demand down 7% and Chinese numbers contracting 4% per year (Source)
• Student loan delinquency rate nears 25% in 2025, up from 9% in 2019, with 7.9 million borrowers falling behind this year, The Century Foundation finds (Source)
• University of Pennsylvania advises international students to carry immigration documents amid intensified federal checks (Source)
• Arizona Board of Regents approves 1,200-bed residence hall for University of Arizona, targeting Fall 2028 opening (Source)
• Ascentris and Student Quarters JV enters Austin market with 243-bed PBSA acquisition (Source)
• Asset Living ranked No. 1 US third-party student housing manager for 15th consecutive year by Student Housing Business (Source)
• Provident Resources Group secures $250M financing for 20-storey, 205-unit FIU student housing project (Source)
• Moxie Management launches Oasis at the Orchard, premium off-campus housing for USC students (Source)

Australia

• Australia to tighten ESOS Act compliance from 1 July 2026, with higher audit fees, real-time attendance verification and 72-hour deferral reporting for providers of international student courses (Source)
• International students helped “keep the system afloat” for Australia’s universities as 40% have been in deficit (Source)
• Australian universities spent over AUD530M in 2024 on offshore recruitment agent commissions, nearly double 5 years ago, sparking renewed concerns about student visa integrity (Source)
• Australia increases use of “home-country study clause” in study visa refusals, citing comparable courses available at origin, contributing to falling approvals for South Asian applicants, with Sri Lankan visa approvals falling to 90.3% in 2025-26, from 94% in 2024-25 (Source)
• Australian language colleges face collapse as stand-alone ELICOS visa applications drop 38% after fee hikes to AUD 2,000, with 5,000 jobs lost and enrolments slumping (Source)
• Adelaide 2747 sqm. student-housing site on North Terrace sold for $26.29M to Journal Student Living, which plans a $400M accommodation tower to ease a major bed shortfall (Source)
• Scape Australia to welcome its largest intake ever - 10,500 students for Semester One as its ~20,000-bed PBSA portfolio reaches capacity, with strong waitlists across markets (Source)
• Australia’s PBSA sector gains momentum with $500M Brisbane 1,200-bed conversion, 3,600 beds under construction, 3,000 approved and Perth’s 1,960-bed precinct boosting city housing (Source)

Canada

• Canada will issue shorter study permits for prerequisite/pathway courses, valid for course length 90+ days, requiring a new permit for the main program (Source)
• Canada’s study permits drop sharply: Indian intake halves and overall issuances fall about 25% in 2025 as new caps and controls tighten student inflows (Source)
• Canada records ~61% fall in new international student arrivals in 2025 and 30% drop in total study permit holders, shrinking enrolments sharply (Source)
• Canada’s updated PGWP rules require language proof for most applicants and confirm work-permit length depends on study level and passport validity (Source)
• Canada’s first public college (MITT) closes as international enrolment falls over 55%, revenue drops ~60%, and visa crackdown slashes foreign student numbers (Source)

Europe

• Italian universities 2026 intake opens, offering public programs with tuition roughly €900-€4,000, English-taught degrees and funded scholarships as students begin applications (Source)
• France Pavilion at APAIE 2026 in Hong Kong showcases French higher education, research excellence and student opportunities to boost international enrolments and partnerships (Source)
• Over 25 Indian students at IU International University of Applied Sciences in Berlin face deportation after temporary visas expire by March 8, 2026, with legal appeals ongoing (Source)
• VTU signs academic collaboration with TU Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Germany) to boost research, twinning programs and international exposure for students (Source)
• Azora buys a 14,500 sqm student residence in Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, adding modern PBSA stock with 610 en-suite rooms, 196 with private kitchens (Source)
• Brookfield issues €220M loan to refinance Irish 550-bed build-to-rent scheme, and Maslow provides £117M (€134M) construction loan for a Wembley 609-bed PBSA project (Source)
• Stoneweg targets €1B European residential investment in 2026, including student housing, to expand PBSA and address demand amid urban rental shortages (Source)
• Swedish firm NCC to build Nya Holtermanska student and researcher housing in Gothenburg with 386 apartments for nearly 500 students, plus café and offices, due 2028 (Source)