The Brief: International Education Edition

ICOT College has closed its Dublin and Cork campuses after 17 years. It was removed from ILEP, Ireland’s list of schools allowed to enrol visa students, and lost its challenge in the High Court. It is the seventh major school closure we have tracked in 2026, and the fifth in Ireland since June. In this episode: The 2026 list: Student Campus Limerick, EC English, Erin College, ILAC and Tamwood, Lim...

BSC Education, the UK English language group, is going into liquidation. That makes it the third major language school group to fail in four weeks, after EC English and ILAC. HMRC filed a winding-up petition against the company in July, twelve weeks before agents got the closure email. Meanwhile, Australia's new student visa rules took effect on 2 October. Working holiday makers and holders of 16...

Two of the best-known names in language travel stopped operating on the same Friday. ILAC, once the largest private English school in Canada, filed for bankruptcy and took its whole group down with it: ILAC International College, ILAC International High School and Tamwood. Erin College in Dublin and Cork closed after losing its place on Ireland's ILEP list and blamed a "political and arbitrary" de...

EC English, one of the biggest names in English language teaching, has told agents to tell their students not to get on the plane. It halted all new arrivals at its schools in seven countries for the weekend of 12 September, citing "unforeseen operational circumstances." It hasn't said anything about refunds yet. Conrad and Eden cover what we know, how IH Sydney's closure played out in 2024, and w...

In January we said students weren't disappearing — they were just moving to destinations with open doors. Six months later, we grade our own homework: half right. Students are still moving, but the doors we pointed to are closing. Australia froze its 2027 intake cap while commencements run 13% below 2019 and visa fees hit AU$2,500 — the world's highest. The Netherlands posted its first enrolment d...

The best-kept margin in international education just got cut in half. From 1 July 2026, Australia's new OSHC Deed caps commissions to third-party agents at 12% — down from the 25–27% insurers disclosed in the government's own review. Conrad and Eden break down how a mandatory health product built a referral-platform gold rush, why a flat cap destroys the volume-tier ladder that gave aggregators th...

The decline in international education has gone quiet. Across the Big Four, students from the five markets that drove a decade of growth — Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Nigeria and Pakistan — are now being turned away, or walking away before a decision is ever recorded. In this quickfire episode, Conrad and Eden run the whole board: the bad news fast, the good news faster, and the single reason behind...

Australia's vocational education sector is being squeezed harder than any other study level — and this week, the politics caught up to the data. Conrad and Eden break down why the VET visa grant rate has hit an all-time low, and why One Nation's new crackdown is fighting a battle the regulator has largely already won. The through-line: Australia has a real integrity problem at the low-trust, vocat...

A quick reality check on international education going into 2026. Despite alarming headlines, global demand remains strong—students are shifting destinations, not disappearing. Germany is growing while countries like Canada and Australia tighten controls. Approval rates show governments prioritizing higher-quality students, and fears around deportations are often overstated. The takeaway for agent...

UK maintains commanding 82% attractiveness among international education professionals, but nearly three-quarters of students are actively considering alternative destinations. ApplyBoard's Q3 2025 survey reveals significant shifts that agents and schools must address immediately. Key Statistics: • UK: 82% attractiveness (remains #1) • Canada: 74% attractiveness (up 3 points, climbs to #2) • Germa...

Australia's international education sector is heading for a decade of stagnation with growth projected at just 2% annually through 2030 - a dramatic fall from nearly 10% pre-pandemic growth. Conrad and Eden examine how Australia's increasingly restrictive policies are reshaping the global education landscape while New Zealand pursues an aggressive expansion strategy. Key developments discussed: Au...

Conrad and Eden break down China's new K visa - a precision-targeted strategy to attract elite AI and STEM talent from top-tier universities. This isn't immigration reform; it's talent warfare in the global AI race. Sources https://english.www.gov.cn/policies/featured/202508/18/content_WS68a31850c6d0868f4e8f4ea7.html https://thepienews.com/what-does-the-k-visa-mean-for-chinas-search-for-global-tal...

While edtech unicorn ApplyBoard faces a 74% valuation collapse, strategic consolidation continues in international education with two key acquisitions targeting Australian student pipelines. This episode breaks down what these deals mean for agencies navigating the consolidation wave. ApplyBoard's Reality Check Valuation plummeted 74% from $3.2 billion peak to approximately $800 million $2.4 billi...

International students are making calculated decisions about their UK education, and the data tells a clear story. This episode examines the significant shifts in field of study preferences among UK international students from 2019 to 2024, revealing how employment prospects and visa pathways are driving program selection. Key Headlines Computing/IT Surge : Up 3 percentage points since 2019 among...

Canada's study permit rejection rate hit a record 62% - the highest in over a decade. Anna and Conrad analyze the policy crisis reshaping international education in 2025, from Canada's approval crash to the US ending "duration of status" for F-1 students. Plus: why alternative destinations are suddenly booming. Key Headlines Canada: Rejection rates jumped from 48% to 38% approval; Indian students...