Australia, Canada, US and UK are restricting immigration, but other countries are opening their doors.
Australia, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom are tightening their immigration policies, hurting the chances of Indians wanting to study or work there and prompting them to seek their dreams elsewhere.
Indians are one of the largest migrant and international student groups in these countries.
A report by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) flagged a sharp rise in visa cancellations in the US, with Indian students accounting for nearly 50 per cent of all reported 327 cases.
Australia is under scrutiny for what many see as a targeted crackdown on immigration, with reports saying that the authorities are disproportionately rejecting applicants from Punjab and Haryana by citing concerns over compliance and intent.
The impact of such policies is evident in visa issuance data. Between February 2024 and February 2025, the US recorded a 30.34 per cent decline in student visas issued to Indian nationals.
Canada saw a 32 per cent drop from 2023 to 2024. The UK reported a 26 per cent decline, and Australia posted the sharpest fall at 50.8 per cent.
And yet, Indians continue to be one of the largest international student populations in these countries, highlighting the demand for higher education as access shrinks.
As doors close, others are opening. Russia, Germany, France, and New Zealand are witnessing a surge in demand from Indian students.
The number of student visas New Zealand issued to Indians increased 64.6 per cent between FY23 and FY24.
Russia recorded a 33.8 per cent increase from 2023 to 2024 (calendar years), while Germany and France posted rises of 16.4 per cent and 13.5 per cent, respectively, in 2023-24 (academic year).
The four countries offer post-study work opportunities and pathways to permanent settlement.
This openness is not limited to education. The European Union and New Zealand are emerging as bright spots for skilled migrants.
Indians got 24 per cent, the highest, of all EU Blue Cards, the bloc's skilled migration visa programme, in 2023 (21,000 of 89,000 total cards issued).
New Zealand gave Indians 19.2 per cent of its skilled visas (38,457 out of 200,577), again the highest share for any nationality.
These figures not only confirm India's dominance in global talent flows, but also reflect the alignment between Indian skills and the labour market needs of these countries.
Germany, the largest economy of the European Union, is a clear example of this alignment.
Indians form the largest group of skilled workers in Germany, with the majority holding a university degree or equivalent qualification.
About 16 per cent work at the specialist level and 37 per cent at the expert level.
In 2023, the unemployment rate among Indians in Germany was 3.3 per cent, exactly half the national average of 6.6 per cent.
Indians made an average of 5,359 Euros monthly, compared to the national median of 3,796 Euros -- a difference of 41 per cent.
In New Zealand, according to the 2023 Census, the median income for Indian adults stood at NZ dollar 51,600, significantly above the national median of NZ dollar 41,500.
More than 40 per cent of Indians work in managerial or professional roles and only about 7 per cent were labourers, indicating a high level of integration into the formal and skilled economy.
The reason the EU is relatively welcoming is simple: Labour shortages across sectors.
In 2022, fields such as construction, health care, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) were among the most affected by shortages.
The problem is set to get worse, as the EU's working-age population is projected to shrink from 265 million in 2022 to 258 million by 2030.
In this context, Indian professionals offer a ready solution.
While traditional destinations like the US, UK, and Australia grow more selective, Europe and New Zealand are seizing the opportunity to get talent for their labour markets.
For Indian students and skilled workers, Europe and New Zealand are no longer Plan B alternatives -- they're promising and strategic pathways for growth, stability, and prosperity abroad.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
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