Fees, language and immigration policies can attract students – or put them off…
The reputation of a country’s higher education and of its programmes may have an impact on the decision of where
to study. However, immigration policy and language can also turn out to be a bridge or a barrier for international
students. As English-speaking destinations are the most attractive in absolute numbers, an increasing number of non-
English-speaking countries have started to offer courses in English in order to overcome their linguistic disadvantage.
Immigration policies have also been recently modified in some OECD countries: Finland and Norway have amended
their naturalisation laws to take into account the years of residence as a student when assessing eligibility for citizenship,
while Canada facilitates permanent residence for international graduates (OECD, 2012). In contrast, countries like the
United States and more recently the United Kingdom have made it more difficult for international students to enter.