The United States is losing ground in the competition for international students, with education agents reporting weak perceptions of the country as safe, welcoming and attractive compared with other major study destinations, according to the latest Navitas Agent Perception Survey.
The decline comes against a backdrop of tighter US visa scrutiny and changes in visa procedures. Student and exchange visitor visa applicants are subject to online-presence reviews, while most nonimmigrant visa applicants generally require an in-person interview. These changes do not establish the reason for the fall in perception, but provide policy context at a time when the survey shows students are placing greater weight on visa certainty when deciding where to study.
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The Round 10 survey, conducted in May 2026, collected responses from 870 education agents across 64 countries. It found that affordability, policy settings, destination reputation and student confidence continue to shape international education decisions.
US scores low on safety and welcoming perceptions
Only 31% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the reputation of the US as a safe and stable destination for international students had improved over the previous two months.
The US also recorded a low score for being seen as open and welcoming, with only 28% saying its reputation had improved on this measure.
This placed the US behind several competing destinations.
New Zealand recorded 88% for improved perceptions of safety and stability and the same score for being open and welcoming. Germany recorded 78% and 77%, respectively, while Australia stood at 77% for safety and stability and 63% for being open and welcoming.
Interest in US remains weak
The perception problem is also reflected in interest in the US as an education destination.
Only 38% of respondents agreed that there had been more interest in the US over the previous two months compared with other countries.
That was the lowest among the five major destinations covered in the comparison. New Zealand led with 80%, followed by Australia at 75%, the UK at 64% and Canada at 60%.
The survey described the US as continuing to "languish" on relative interest, while New Zealand took the lead and Canada showed an improvement after two years of decline.
Students are also looking beyond the traditional study destinations. About 77% of agents agreed that applicants are applying to more countries outside the US, UK, Australia and Canada.
Visa processing adds to challenge
Visa processing is another area where the US trails competing destinations in the survey.
When agents rated five destinations on different aspects of visa processing, the US received an average positive rating of 25.3%, the lowest among the countries assessed.
The UK led with 74.1%, followed by New Zealand at 64.8%, Australia at 47.2% and Canada at 36.5%.
The US also scored poorly on individual measures. About 26% of respondents rated its visa acceptance rate as good or very good, while 39.6% gave a positive rating to processing time. Only 20.5% rated predictability positively, while 15% gave a positive assessment of rejection reasons.
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These perceptions come as the US has increased scrutiny in parts of the visa process.
The US State Department requires online-presence reviews for F, M and J student and exchange visitor visa applicants. Applicants in these categories are instructed to set their social media profiles to "public" or "open" to facilitate vetting. The department says it uses available information during visa screening to determine whether applicants are eligible to enter the country.
In another procedural change, rules effective October 1, 2025 generally require nonimmigrant visa applicants to attend an in-person interview unless they qualify under specified exemptions. Student visas are not among the categories generally eligible for an interview waiver under the updated policy.
The State Department also updated its instructions in July 2026 to say nonimmigrant visa applicants should schedule interviews at a US embassy or consulate in their country of nationality or residence. It said applicants seeking interviews outside these locations might find it more difficult to qualify for a visa.
The July change came after the Navitas survey was conducted in May and therefore could not have influenced the survey responses. However, it adds to the changing visa environment facing prospective international students.
Visa uncertainty can influence destination choice
The Navitas findings indicate why visa policy matters to the international education market.
"Lower visa acceptance rates discourage some of the strongest potential students from applying, even when they are genuine and well-qualified."
About 80% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with that statement.
The survey also asked agents to respond to the statement: "Students with strong academic and financial profiles are more likely to choose alternative destinations with higher visa certainty."
About 76% agreed or strongly agreed.
The results suggest that tougher visa outcomes can have an unintended effect: stronger applicants may choose another country rather than risk an uncertain visa process.
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Visa processing matters to South Asian students
Visa access is particularly relevant for the South Asian market.
Among respondents from South Asia, 55% identified visa access and processing as an important factor influencing students' choice of destination.
However, visas were not the biggest consideration. Cost of study ranked first at 80%, followed by access to post-study work rights at 75% and opportunities to work while studying at 60%.
The report provides South Asia-level findings and does not break these figures out specifically for India.
Cost remains biggest factor in choosing where to study
Globally, 82% of respondents identified the cost of study, including fees and living expenses, as an important factor influencing destination choice.
Access to post-study work rights followed at 61%, while 54% cited quality of education, 52% safety and security, 50% opportunities to work while studying and 49% opportunities for permanent migration. Visa access and processing was cited by 47%.
Students are also spreading their risk across destinations. About 82% of agents agreed applicants are applying to more destination countries, while 85% said students are applying to more institutions within each country.
Another 72% said students are more likely to have a backup plan to study in their home country, while 68% agreed applicants are more likely to give up plans to study abroad because of affordability.
The findings point to a more competitive international education market in which cost, visa certainty, safety and post-study opportunities increasingly influence where students apply. For the US, weak perceptions on safety, openness and visa processing come as students have more alternatives and appear increasingly willing to use them.
