Amber Beat Global Student Accommodation Market News - March 2026, Week 02

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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 March 07-March 13, 2026

United Kingdom

• UK graduate visa shortened to 18 months linked to softer international demand as study visa applications fall to 19,800 in January 2026 and overseas enrolments decline 6% to 685,565 in 2024–25 (Source)
• UK student recruitment could benefit from “Trump effect” as US enrolments fall by 17,000 and South Asia visas rise by 26,000 in 2025, says British Council (Source)
• UK study visa halt for students from Sudan, Myanmar, Cameroon and Afghanistan may impact select universities, including Nottingham and Leeds, despite relatively small enrolment numbers, HESA data shows (Source)
• UK to require universities with 100+ students in franchised programmes to disclose fee shares and oversight measures under new OfS rule from March 31 (Source)
• UK cancels Chevening scholarship applications from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan following suspension of study visas for the four countries (Source)
• Winvic Construction delivers £85M 33-storey, 814-bed Crown Place student accommodation in Birmingham (Source)
• UOL Group enters UK PBSA market with £43.5M acquisition of 771-bed Varley Park scheme (Source)
• QIP’s 299-bed Press House PBSA in Woolwich nears Phase One completion (Source)
• Hadley Property Group secures approval for GSK House redevelopment comprising 2,324 homes, including 506 PBSA beds, in West London (Source)
• Gateway 2 approval granted for Firethorn’s 284-bed student accommodation project in Stratford (Source)
• Alumno and Henderson Park start construction on £20M 191-bed Edinburgh PBSA scheme (Source)
• Planning approved for £35M, 173-bed O’Flynn Group student accommodation development in Manchester (Source)

United States of America

• US student visas issued drop by over 100,000 year-on-year to 186,160 in summer 2025 after visa interview pause, with the decline narrowing from 49.9% in June to 34.3% in July and 6.5% in August (Source)
• US issues only 22,000 student visas to Indians in summer 2025, marking a 61% year-on-year decline amid visa interview freeze and policy changes (Source)
• US temporarily halts new student visa interview appointments globally as administration prepares expanded social media screening for F, M and J applicants (Source)
• US appeals court orders end to SAVE student loan repayment plan introduced under Biden, affecting millions of borrowers (Source)
• Endeavor Real Estate launches $115M, 1,009-bed student housing project near University of Arkansas, set for summer 2028 opening (Source)

Australia

• International education generated AUD 53.6 billion in Australian export income in 2023-24, reaffirming the sector as one of the country’s largest export industries (Source)
• Australia launches real-time visa tracking from 8 March with fixed decision targets, including 8-week processing for student visas and 10 weeks for skilled visas (Source)
• Record semester intake boosts demand for Australian homestays, with AHN projecting a 15% increase on last year and more than 15,000 homestay placements in 2026 (Source)
• Australia tightens student-visa processing for South Asian applicants; ‘slow-processing’ policy contributes to nearly 15% drop in new international students in the USD 54 billion education sector (Source)
• Multiplex tops out $194M, 40-storey Market Way PBSA tower in Melbourne CBD, delivering 715 rooms and 1,010 student beds with 3,000 sqm communal space; completion due September 2026 (Source)

Canada

• Canada-India relations reset with 13 university partnerships, 300 funded researcher positions and over C$25M for 220+ scholarships, as applications from India fell 19,175 (2023) to 3,920 (2025) (Source)
• Canada positions itself as an alternative for students affected by the UK’s study-visa ban on nationals from four countries, while planning 109,000 permanent resident admissions via Express Entry in 2026 (Source)
• University of Toronto partners with Indian Institute of Science to launch an AI-driven health research centre in India, strengthening collaboration on predictive healthcare systems and student-research training (Source)
• Canada’s international student enrolment estimated to have dropped ~30% in 2024-25, with college enrolment potentially halving within five years, prompting scrutiny of programme quality and outcomes (Source)

Europe

• Morocco advances university reforms: 10,841 new health-training seats, 11,000 student housing beds across five cities, 366 new programmes, as national university enrollment exceeds 1.3 million students (Source)
• PBSA remains the top operational real estate target for European investors, with 62% prioritising student housing over 57% for multifamily, according to a Savills investor survey (Source)
• Eindhoven partners with TU/e, Fontys, SSH and housing providers to build 5,400 student residences across ~15 projects over eight years, addressing growing student housing shortages (Source)
• DeA Capital and Invesco announce Rue Albert PBSA development in France, part of a platform delivering ~1,000 student beds across four sites, with Camplus appointed as operator (Source)
• Firethorn secures Gateway 2 approval for Poland House PBSA in Stratford, enabling construction of a 284-bed student accommodation scheme, including 35% affordable beds (Source)