Amber Beat Global Student Accommodation Market News - September 2025, Week 01

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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 September 01-September 07, 2025

United Kingdom

• As per UK Home Office data, student visa approvals up 18% in H1 2025 to 110,800, but full-year total lowers 18% to 431,725 as dependent visas drop 81% (Source)
• Indian study abroad interest rises 37% in 2025, with strong demand for UK alongside US, Germany and Korea (Source)
• UK Home Office says foreign students overstaying visas will be removed as asylum claims from students hit 16,000 in 2025, nearly six times 2020 levels (Source)
• UK remains top choice for 80% of nearly 1,000 pathway students, NCUK survey shows, despite shifts in immigration policies (Source)
• UK immigration reforms risk hurting cities as universities rely on overseas students for a quarter of income, says Centre for Cities thinktank (Source)
• Bouygues UK secures University of Exeter’s West Park contract to build six new blocks, refurbish one, and house 1,849 students by 2028 (Source)
• KKR and Inhabeo acquire £230m UK student housing portfolio from Curlew Student Trust II, accommodating 2,179 students across 7 university cities (Source)

United States of America

• Judge rules Trump administration unlawfully cut $2.2B in Harvard research grants and can no longer block funding to the Ivy League school (Source)
• US colleges face strain as F-1 visa approvals fall 12% Jan–Apr, 22% in May, with June drop estimated up to 90%, risking $7B revenue and 60,000 jobs (Source)
• US proposes 4-year cap on international student visas, implications may be higher for Indians reliant on OPT and H-1B pathways than Chinese peers (Source)
• F-1 visa rules to tighten in 30-60 days, with 1-year transfer wait and 30-day OPT grace, likely to have significant impact on Indian enrolment from Fall (Source)
• US proposes ending ‘duration of status’ for F-1 and J-1 visas with 4-year limit, 30-day grace, 24-month English study cap, and tighter programme change rules (Source)
• Yugo acquires Campus Advantage, expanding US student housing to 88 properties with nearly 40,000 students across 28 states and adding 430 staff (Source)
• Student visa arrivals in US lower nearly 30% in July 2025, impacting international enrolment (Source)
• Business Standard Poll of nearly 1,200 Indian students finds 78% would not pursue study in US without OPT or H-1B, only 22% still willing (Source)
• US to add $250 visa integrity fee for tourists, business visitors, and international students starting October 1, raising total cost to around $440 (Source)
• Trump administration tightens H-1B and Green Card rules with higher visa costs and wage-based selection system as part of stricter legal immigration measures (Source)

Australia

• Australia maintains 185,000 PMP intake, raises student cap to 295,000 (2026), despite widespread anti-migration protests, net migration hits 446,000 (Source)
• International student enrolments in Australia are forecast to grow by 2% annually to 2030, reaching approximately 770,000 (Source)
• Australia's PBSA sector is set to grow, with 144,300 beds by 2027, driven by 39,000 in development (Source)
• Since Fee-Free TAFE launched, 22,500 students saved over $50M, with 1,600 new construction places and 2024 enrolments up 5.1%, backed by $34.4M (Source)
• Australia’s net overseas migration dropped 37% from a peak of 538,000 to 341,000 in the year to 31 December 2024 (Source)
• The Future Focus Dialogue emphasized integrity, TNE's “new era” with 100,000 TNE students, and managed diversification through outreach in Southeast Asia (Source)
• Australia adds 25,000 seats in 2026 (+9% cap), with 100,000+ Indian enrolments in 2023-24, and 214,714 current graduate visa holders (Source)

Canada

• Study remittances were $138.8M in June 2025, the five-year average being $314M. US, Canada lower, while the UK gains (Source)
• Only two of twenty-five British Columbia public post-secondary institutions met Fall 2025 international student targets amid enrolment challenges (Source)
• Canada’s study permit approval rate dropped to 38% (Source)
• From September 1, 2025, single applicants must prove CA$22,895 (₹14.1 lakhs). In Q1 2025, about 30,650 Indian study permits were issued (Source)
• Despite Quebec’s international student applications dropping 46% between April 2024-25, Canada remains a top student destination (Source)

Europe

• Germany-bound applicants rose from 13.2% to 32.6% as US applications drop by 13% (Source)
• Germany expects ~405,000 international students in 2025, with 10% enrolment growth and 56% of universities expanding Master’s programs (Source)
• Govt of Spain’s ‘EduBridge to Spain’ offers fast-track credit transfers, priority visas, TIEs, and part-time work access from September 2025, phased through January 2026 (Source)
• 22% rise seen in 2024 applications, with Germany showing a 12% increase, Norway 15.4%, and Finland 21% (Source)
• CAO points increased 5.9%. With education investment at 2.8% of GDP, about 4,000 Irish students study abroad for lower fees and no points system (Source)