The dip in the international student enrollment numbers has become invisible under the hype of the shifting immigration policies in the United States and the United Kingdom.
As a consequence of the changing policies and newly applied restrictions on student visas, the figures of international students enrolling in top universities of the countries has gone down by a significant rate.
Not just that, this comes as a consequence of the uncertainty over Brexit and rights of the European Union citizens and also tuition hikes in both the countries.
As an alternative, the high net-worth individuals seek solutions in hunting substitute residence. They are also going for seeking citizenship rights that can allow their children to pursue their academic aspirations without needing them to struggle in the whole risky visa situations.
The visa processes are becoming very unpredictable after the changes in the policies that are throwing students off track.
According to Dr Jeurg Steffen, who is the CEO of Henley & Partners, an investment migration firm, education has proven to be a fundamental priority for the majority of clients. “There are many reasons for acquiring alternative citizenship or residence, but ultimately, it comes down to long-term stability and security – a classic investment hedge against potential volatility.
The dramatically expanded education options that open up by having alternative citizenship or residence in a desirable location is often a decisive factor for families when they are considering making this kind of investment,” he says.
According to the Knight Frank Global Wealth Report, countries like the United States, Australia, Canada, and Switzerland attract most of the students from overseas yet somehow, the United Kingdom’s private boarding schools are considered to be top-notch by many.
The UK Investor Immigration Program is a program best suited for investors who aim to yield full benefits of the country’s exceptional primary, secondary, and tertiary services in the field of education. Talking about exceptional education quality, Cambridge and Oxford University have currently topped Times Higher Education’s world’s best universities list.
Now, coming to universities in mainland Europe, there are some gold mines. The University of Amsterdam, Sorbonne University in Paris and Humboldt University of Berlin are some European universities that appeal to the wealthy global audience.
Apart from wanting to experience student life in Europe, these international students are also attracted by the unequalled quality of education provided at these universities. For the investors who want to enroll their child in European universities, there is a key advantage. These universities offer a discount to European Union citizens that have them pay up to fifty per cent less than the Non-European Union citizens.
Other programs include the US EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program and the Australia Residence-by-Investment Program for the investors whose children have their aim set on American and Australian universities respectively. These programs help the high net worth individuals in resettling in countries where their children can pursue their academic aspirations without getting caught up in the whole visa drama.
