Keep up

What changed, and what is about to

Every change below is taken from an official source cited in the country guide. A rule that changed after you started planning is one of the most common reasons a visa is refused.

Coming up

1 October 2026 · visa rules · United States

F-1 and M-1 applicants must set all social media profiles to public for vetting.
1 November 2026 · visa rules · Lithuania

Residence permit applications filed inside Lithuania will require a valid legal basis for your stay when you apply.
16 November 2026 · post-study · New Zealand

Level 7 graduate diploma graduates who already hold a bachelor's become eligible for the post-study work visa.
30 November 2026 · proof of funds · United Kingdom

Maintenance rises from GBP 1,529 to GBP 1,570 a month in London and from GBP 1,171 to GBP 1,203 outside.
31 December 2026 · post-study · Malaysia

Graduate Pass eligibility for Chinese and Indian nationals, decided case by case, ends on this date.
31 December 2026 · fees · China

Temporary cut in regular visa fees, already extended, runs until this date; US$23 single entry for most nationalities.
1 January 2027 · post-study · United Kingdom

Graduate Route falls from two years to 18 months for bachelor's and master's applications from this date; PhDs keep three years.
1 January 2027 · post-study · Singapore

Employment Pass minimum salary for new applications rises from S$5,600 to S$6,000, and from S$6,200 to S$6,600 in financial services.
2027 · tuition · France

Cap on differential-fee exemptions falls to 25% of enrolled foreign students for 2027-28, then 20% thereafter.
January 2027 · other · Belgium

Ghent introduces a city student housing tax of EUR 5.50 to EUR 11.80 a month.
31 October 2027 · visa rules · Italy

Ministerial visa deadline moves earlier, from 30 November for 2026/2027 to 31 October 2027 for AY 2027/2028.
1 January 2029 · visa rules · Czechia

A new immigration law moves procedures online and gives universities more reporting duties; the current Aliens Act applies until then.

Already in force

18 September 2026 · post-study · United States

Proclamation extends to September 2027 the bar on H-1B entry unless a USD 100,000 payment accompanied the petition.
14 September 2026 · visa rules · United States

A nationwide preliminary injunction blocked the duration of status rule one day before it took effect; duration of status remains.
4 September 2026 · other · Australia

Government cancelled CRICOS registration of the Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning) across 452 providers; no new international enrolments allowed.
1 September 2026 · proof of funds · Canada

Proof of funds rose from CAD 22,895 to CAD 23,448 for a single applicant, plus CAD 6,318 per family member.
1 August 2026 · tuition · Norway

The requirement to charge at least the full cost of a study place was removed, letting universities cut fees.
1 August 2026 · proof of funds · France

Proof of funds rose 43% from EUR 615 to EUR 877.50 a month.
1 August 2026 · fees · France

Campus France EEF procedure fee for India set at INR 20,000.
17 July 2026 · visa rules · United States

DHS final rule capped F-1 admission at four years and cut the grace period from 60 to 30 days.
15 July 2026 · visa rules · Slovakia

Decision period for study residence applications lengthened from 30 to 90 days.
15 July 2026 · caps · Netherlands

Ministry and universities signed a binding agreement for controlled intake, limiting English-taught places where necessary.
July 2026 · proof of funds · Slovakia

Monthly subsistence minimum for proof of funds rose from EUR 284.13 to EUR 295.22.
1 July 2026 · proof of funds · Romania

Proof of funds follows the minimum gross wage, which rose to 4,325 lei a month.
1 July 2026 · fees · Japan

Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised visa fees; a single-entry visa now costs about JPY 15,000.
1 July 2026 · fees · Australia

Student visa (subclass 500) fee rose from AUD 2,000 to AUD 2,500.
1 July 2026 · post-study · Australia

Temporary Graduate (485) visa fee rose from AUD 4,600 to AUD 5,750.
22 June 2026 · fees · South Africa

VFS service fee for in-country applications set at R1,750, on top of the R425 Home Affairs fee.
11 June 2026 · work · Sweden

For permits granted from this date, term-time work is capped at 15 hours a week; previously there was no weekly cap.
11 June 2026 · visa rules · Sweden

Study progress (credit) requirements added to student permits, applying to older permits at renewal.
11 June 2026 · post-study · Sweden

Switching from a study permit to a work permit generally requires a completed programme of at least two semesters.
22 May 2026 · work · Lithuania

First- and second-year bachelor's students limited to 20 hours a week; later-year, master's and doctoral students to 40 hours.
22 May 2026 · visa rules · Lithuania

Amendments cap study-based residence at a cumulative eight years and add stricter attendance and progress monitoring.
19 May 2026 · tuition · France

Blanket waivers of differential fees ended; exemptions capped at 30% of enrolled foreign students for 2026-27.
19 May 2026 · caps · Australia

New CRICOS registrations from private VET and ELICOS providers were frozen for twelve months; TAFEs and universities exempt.
1 May 2026 · fees · France

VLS-TS validation tax doubled from EUR 50 to EUR 100; permit taxes rose to EUR 150 first issuance and EUR 100 renewal.
27 April 2026 · fees · Romania

Long-stay visa fee rose from EUR 120 to EUR 300.
8 April 2026 · fees · United Kingdom

Student visa application fee set at GBP 558.
April 2026 · work · Japan

Japanese language schools must check every three months where each student works and for how many hours.
April 2026 · language · Japan

Language school applicants must prove Japanese with a formal test certificate or interview, not just 150 hours of study.
1 April 2026 · work · Canada

A separate co-op work permit is no longer needed for a required work placement.
4 March 2026 · proof of funds · Croatia

2025 average net salary of EUR 1,449 published, setting funds at EUR 362.25 a month plus EUR 869.40 for the return journey.
1 March 2026 · proof of funds · Slovenia

Proof of funds, tied to basic minimum income, rose to EUR 507.43 a month from an older figure of EUR 484.88.
1 March 2026 · work · Georgia

Foreigners without permanent residence must obtain work authorisation before starting paid work.
1 March 2026 · post-study · Australia

Temporary Graduate (485) visa fee doubled from AUD 2,300 to AUD 4,600.
6 February 2026 · visa rules · Greece

Student residence permit is now issued for the full programme length, with progress checks every two years.
6 February 2026 · work · Greece

Student work limit raised from a reported 15 hours to 20 hours a week.
6 February 2026 · post-study · Greece

Law 5275/2026 formalised a one-year post-study permit to look for work or start a business.
1 February 2026 · proof of funds · Mexico

UMA set at MXN 117.31 a day, making requirements MXN 25,808.20 a month in income or MXN 268,639.90 in balance.
21 January 2026 · language · United States

TOEFL iBT moved to a 1-6 scale in half-point steps, with a 0-120 score also shown for two years.
21 January 2026 · language · Sweden

For TOEFL iBT tests from this date, 4.5 overall on the new 1-6 scale is required, no section below 4.
21 January 2026 · language · Netherlands

TOEFL iBT moved to a 1-6 scale; check your university's new-scale equivalents.
21 January 2026 · language · Estonia

For TOEFL iBT tests from this date, Tartu requires 4 overall on the new 1-6 scale instead of 75.
21 January 2026 · language · Canada

TOEFL iBT moved to a 1-6 score scale aligned to CEFR; both scales reported until January 2028.
12 January 2026 · proof of funds · Belgium

Proof of funds rose from EUR 835 to EUR 1,062 a month for new applications from 2026-2027, indexed every 15 February.
1 January 2026 · post-study · Taiwan

Graduates can extend their stay up to two years and work full- or part-time without a work permit.
2026 · proof of funds · Sweden

Maintenance requirement rose from SEK 10,584 for 2025 applications to SEK 10,656 a month for 2026.
2026 · tuition · Qatar

New Qatar University undergraduate rates for entrants from Fall 2026: QAR 1,200 to 1,700 per credit hour by field.
1 January 2026 · proof of funds · Portugal

Proof of funds tied to minimum wage rose to EUR 920 a month (EUR 11,040 a year), from the 2024 base of EUR 820 still quoted.
2026 · tuition · Poland

Jagiellonian medicine and dentistry fees rose about 3% for 2026/27 admission, to EUR 16,000 (MD) and EUR 17,000 (DDS).
2026 · tuition · Norway

Nord University cut non-EU fees from NOK 141,000 to 280,000 in 2025/26 to NOK 60,000 or 85,000 for 2026/27.
2026 · proof of funds · Norway

Proof of funds rose from NOK 166,859 a year for 2025/2026 to NOK 170,368 for 2026-2027.
1 January 2026 · proof of funds · Netherlands

Proof of funds rose 4.4% to EUR 1,130.77 a month for 2026.
2026 · proof of funds · Latvia

Proof of funds follows the minimum wage, which rose from EUR 740 in 2025 to EUR 780 a month.
2026 · visa rules · Italy

International entry procedures moved to a two-year cycle for the first time.
2026 · caps · Italy

Universities may validate only applications proportionate to their available places, capped at a 20% overshoot.
2026 · language · Italy

Certified B2 in Italian or English, verified by the university before the visa application, is now required; B1 for Foundation Courses.
January 2026 · language · Ireland

New TOEFL scale applies: 4.5 overall and 4.5 minimum in each section, replacing iBT 90.
1 January 2026 · other · Georgia

Media reported a mandatory health and accident insurance requirement for foreign visitors; application to students was not confirmed.
1 January 2026 · fees · Finland

First student residence permit fee rose from EUR 450 to EUR 600 online and from EUR 550 to EUR 750 on paper.
2026 · tuition · Estonia

University of Tartu stopped tuition waivers for newly admitted non-EU/EEA students from 2026-2027; some programmes offer 25% to 100% reductions.
2026 · work · Croatia

Students can earn up to EUR 12,000 net a year from student work without it being taxed.
1 January 2026 · proof of funds · Canada

Quebec requirement for a single student aged 18 or over rose from CAD 15,508 to CAD 24,617.
1 January 2026 · caps · Canada

Master's and doctoral students at public institutions no longer need a Provincial Attestation Letter.
2026 · caps · Canada

The 2026 cap allows at most 309,670 applications from students needing a Provincial Attestation Letter.
2026 · post-study · Canada

The PGWP eligible field-of-study list was frozen for 2026 at 1,107 programmes.
2026 · tuition · Canada

International tuition fees rose 4% nationally for 2026/27, from 0% in Newfoundland to 8.6% in Saskatchewan.
1 January 2026 · fees · Belgium

Immigration Office contribution fee indexed to EUR 251; students with a Belgian grant and under-18s are exempt.
2026 · caps · Australia

The 2026 National Planning Level caps new international student commencements at 295,000.
24 December 2025 · fees · Türkiye

Communiqué set the residence permit card fee at TRY 964 for 2026.
3 November 2025 · work · New Zealand

Term-time work limit rose from 20 to 25 hours a week; work rights extended to exchange and study abroad students.
November 2025 · visa rules · Canada

Doctoral study permit applicants get a two-week processing service.
22 October 2025 · post-study · Portugal

General job-seeker visa for applicants abroad replaced by a visa for highly qualified job seekers.
22 October 2025 · dependants · Portugal

Family reunification now generally requires two years of prior residence.
July 2025 · fees · United States

A USD 250 visa integrity fee was created by legislation but is charged inconsistently and missing from the official fee schedule.
1 July 2025 · visa rules · Slovakia

Switching from study residence to another purpose allowed only after completing studies; switch to business only after 24 months.
July 2025 · fees · Australia

Student visa fee rose from AUD 1,600 to AUD 2,000.
30 June 2025 · proof of funds · Ireland

Proof of funds set at EUR 10,000 for courses of a year or longer, or EUR 833 a month, on top of fees.
20 June 2025 · other · Ireland

The ILEP list of eligible programmes was frozen at its final update and is being replaced by TrustEd Ireland.
9 June 2025 · post-study · Malaysia

Seven ASEAN countries were added to the Graduate Pass eligible nationalities.
29 May 2025 · tuition · Argentina

Public universities may now charge tuition to foreign students without permanent residence; free undergraduate study is kept only for citizens and permanent residents.
29 May 2025 · other · Argentina

At national government health facilities, people without permanent residence get routine care only with health insurance or after paying.
20 May 2025 · visa rules · Spain

Higher education study authorisation now covers the whole programme length instead of annual renewals.
2 May 2025 · work · Denmark

Students on non-state-approved programmes who applied on or after this date have no right to work.
2 May 2025 · dependants · Denmark

Students on non-state-approved programmes who applied on or after this date cannot bring accompanying family.
21 January 2025 · dependants · Canada

Spousal open work permits limited to spouses of master's students on 16-month-plus programmes, doctoral and selected professional programmes.
2025 · tuition · Switzerland

ETH Zurich tripled its fee for most international students from CHF 730 to CHF 2,190 per semester from autumn 2025.
2025 · work · Spain

Work limit raised from 20 to 30 hours a week with automatic work permission, no separate application.
2025 · language · Netherlands

From 2025-26 most psychology bachelor's programmes moved to Dutch; several economics and business bachelor's converted or capped English tracks.
2025 · visa rules · India

Foreigner registration rules now sit under the new Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
1 January 2025 · proof of funds · Germany

Blocked account requirement rose to EUR 992 a month, EUR 11,904 a year, and has not changed since.
1 January 2025 · fees · Finland

A national EUR 100 application fee was introduced for applicants from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
2025 · tuition · Belgium

In French-speaking Belgium most non-EU students now pay an extra EUR 4,175 on top of EUR 835, EUR 5,010 a year in total.
8 November 2024 · visa rules · Canada

The Student Direct Stream fast-track closed and has not returned.
November 2024 · work · Canada

Off-campus work limit set at 24 hours a week during academic sessions, up from 20 before the pandemic waiver.
1 November 2024 · post-study · Canada

College and non-degree programmes must be linked to a long-term shortage occupation for PGWP eligibility, for permits applied for from this date.
October 2024 · post-study · Brazil

New residence authorisation for work for graduates of Brazilian degrees took effect; it requires a job contract and gives no job-search period.
1 September 2024 · post-study · Canada

PGWP requires at least 50% of the programme completed in class in Canada for programmes starting on or after this date.
July 2024 · caps · Cyprus

Cabinet approved a limit on how many third-country nationals each private institution may admit.
July 2024 · fees · Australia

Student visa fee rose from AUD 710 to AUD 1,600.
1 July 2024 · post-study · Australia

Age limit for the 485 Temporary Graduate visa was cut from 50 to 35.
15 May 2024 · post-study · Canada

Public-private partnership college programmes stopped being PGWP-eligible for same-province students starting after this date.
10 May 2024 · proof of funds · Australia

Living-costs requirement set at AUD 29,710 for twelve months, on top of first-year tuition and travel; unchanged since.
4 May 2024 · language · Australia

TOEFL iBT was reinstated as an accepted English test for the student visa.
April 2024 · visa rules · Philippines

Immigration Bureau said foreign students may face intelligence checks, with schools filing regular compliance reports.
1 March 2024 · visa rules · Saudi Arabia

A dedicated study visa service was launched through the Study in Saudi platform.
1 March 2024 · fees · Malaysia

8% service tax added to the EMGS visa processing fee.
9 January 2024 · visa rules · Indonesia

The ITAS stay permit is now issued at the point of entry, with photos and fingerprints taken on arrival.
January 2024 · dependants · United Kingdom

Only PhD, research-degree or government-sponsored students may bring dependants; taught master's students no longer qualify.
2024 · work · Germany

Work limit raised to 140 full days or 280 half days a year, or 20 hours a week, from 120/240 days.
2024 · tuition · Germany

TU Munich began charging new non-EU students EUR 2,000 to 3,000 a semester for bachelor's and EUR 4,000 to 6,000 for master's.
29 November 2023 · visa rules · Türkiye

Students can hand residence permit documents to their university's student affairs office, which submits them.
3 July 2023 · proof of funds · South Korea

Required balance set in won: KRW 20 million for D-2 students in Seoul area, KRW 16 million elsewhere.
1 July 2023 · visa rules · Lithuania

All full-time non-EU degree students must hold a temporary residence permit for studies.
1 February 2023 · post-study · Canada

Public-private partnership college programmes stopped being PGWP-eligible for cross-province students starting after this date.
2023 · tuition · Qatar

Qatar University graduate students admitted from Fall 2023 pay QAR 2,200 per credit hour, QAR 2,600 for the MBA.
2023 · visa rules · Portugal

AIMA replaced SEF as the agency handling student residence permits.
2023 · caps · Poland

Since late 2023 foreign students are capped at 50% of enrolment at any single university.
2023 · language · Poland

Since late 2023 the government introduced stricter Polish-language requirements and stronger verification of qualifications.
2023 · tuition · Norway

Public universities began charging tuition to students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland from autumn 2023.
1 January 2023 · proof of funds · Czechia

Subsistence minimum used for proof of funds set at CZK 3,130 a month, still in use.
July 2020 · caps · Cyprus

Cabinet imposed a 20% ceiling on third-country admissions at private colleges and banned admissions over June to September.
2019 · tuition · France

Differential tuition fees for non-EU students were introduced at public universities.
1 July 2017 · work · China

Ministry of Education rules allow work-study but bar international students from being employed or doing business.
2017 · tuition · Germany

Baden-Württemberg began charging non-EU students EUR 1,500 per semester.
2017 · post-study · China

A notice on outstanding foreign graduates lets them apply for a work permit without the usual two years of experience.