'Due to US, Canada': Study abroad spends by Indians hit 5-yr low; UK benefits

MUMBAI: Remittance by Indians for studies abroad dipped to a 5-year low of $138.8 million in June 2025 as countries tightened restrictions on taking in Indian students.

The remittances for study are less than half of the $314 million average during the last five years and a far cry from the $718 million in Sept 2021. Spending on travel continues to be more than the five year average of just over $1 billion. Overall remittances are much better at $2.1 billion, lowest since Feb 2025.


"We are seeing student remittances down by 10-15%, largely due to the US and Canada. Our US student remittances are down nearly 30% from a year ago because of visa restrictions. Canada is also lower. The UK has been the biggest gainer, as other destinations like Australia also have restrictions on the number of students and are turning down visa applications from certain geographies," said Hariprasad MP, executive director & business head, Ebix World Money.

Several popular study destinations have tightened their visa and enrolment criteria for Indian students in 2025. Australia, Canada, the US, and the UK have all introduced stricter requirements.