This Week in Study Abroad (TWISA) is a weekly read on what current and prospective international students should be paying attention to, powered by Radius.
Vol. 11 · July 1st -July 7th, 2026
TL;DR
TOP STORIES FROM ACROSS GLOBE
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Student visa fees rise again as Australia adds ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) pricing tier
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France strengthens push to become leading destination for global researchers
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Nigeria retains position as Africa’s leading Erasmus Mundus scholarship beneficiary
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Cyprus launches fully-online renewal portal for third-country residence permits
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Slovakia is implementing new Visa Processing Framework and Residence Permit Rules
AUSTRALIA
Australia has increased student visa application fees overnight, with the Student visa (subclass 500) rising from $2,000 to $2,500. The change follows the last increase in July 2025. A separate pricing structure has also been introduced for ELICOS students under the subclass 500 visa. Despite industry groups lobbying for a reduction below the $2,000 fee, citing declining enrolments and the short-term nature of many ELICOS courses, the government has instead increased the ELICOS visa fee to $2,050, compared to the previous shared $2,000 rate.
In addition, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) application fee has increased again, rising from $4,600 to $5,750 – a 25% jump and the second increase in four months.
Source; PIE News
FRANCE
France is looking to strengthen its position as a destination for international researchers, even as competition for global scientific talent intensifies and doctoral enrolments begin to decline.
The focus on scientific mobility was reflected throughout this year’s France Alumni Day Awards, which celebrated alumni whose careers demonstrate the international impact of French higher education.
Speaking to The PIE News following this year’s France Alumni Day Awards, Donatienne Hissard, director general of Campus France, said the country continues to benefit from a highly international research ecosystem but acknowledged that maintaining its competitiveness will require both attracting new talent and making it easier for researchers to build long-term careers.
Source; PIE News
NIGERIA
Nigeria has once again emerged as Africa’s leading beneficiary of the European Union’s Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s scholarship programme, with 163 Nigerian students admitted this year and 89 securing fully funded Erasmus Mundus scholarships.
The milestone was announced by the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, during the 2026 Erasmus Mundus Pre-Departure Orientation in Abuja.
The event brought together scholarship awardees, prospective applicants, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, education agencies, EU Member States and Erasmus alumni to prepare scholars for their academic journey across Europe.
Source; The Guardian
CYPRUS
The long-promised digital transformation of Cyprus’ migration system took a tangible step forward on 6th July when the Deputy Ministry of Migration, together with the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation & Digital Policy, switched on a new e-service that allows most third-country nationals (TCNs) to renew their residence permits entirely online.
For multinational employers, the change removes one of the most persistent administrative pain-points in Cyprus: unpredictable processing times caused by paper backlogs. The electronic workflow also reduces the risk of incomplete files being rejected.
The move is part of a broader push to make Cyprus more attractive to skilled foreign talent and investors.
Source; VISA Hq News
SLOVAKIA
Effective July 15, 2026, Slovakia will implement multiple immigration reforms. This includes, among other things: extending the national visa validity period; providing more relaxed unemployment periods for residence permit holders; and changing the country’s visa processing framework, including through creating a new Central Visa Authority.
Some of these reforms are part of Slovak measures to domestically transpose the revised Single Permit Directive, including rules around unemployment grace periods.
Source; Fragomen.com
What to do this week.
Based on this week's developments, here is exactly what a prospective international student should be doing right now:
1. If you're mid-application to Australia, revise your financial plan before submitting. Student visa fees have increased to $2,500 and the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) now costs $5,750.
2. This applies to ELICOS students specifically: The fee reduction you may have been waiting on isn't coming. Factor $2,050 into your Australia English language course budget and reassess if that changes your destination shortlist.
3. 89 Nigerians secured full scholarships this cycle. Start identifying eligible joint master's programmes now and note their next application windows so you apply prepared.
4. For Researchers eyeing Europe: France is actively investing in its international research profile. If a doctoral or postdoctoral move is on your radar, Campus France is worth contacting directly this week.
5. For Cyprus bound travellers; If your residence permit renewal is coming up, test the new online portal on gov.cy. Ensure your passport has at least two years of validity as the system rejects renewals automatically if it doesn't.
IN SUMMARY;
The week's international student news reflects governments tightening their grip on costs, movement, and administration. Australia continues its upward fee trajectory, with student and graduate visa costs rising again despite industry pushback; ELICOS students, who were lobbying for relief, instead got absorbed into the higher pricing structure. On the other end of the spectrum, France is doubling down on researcher attraction and Cyprus has digitised its residence permit renewals both moves aimed at reducing friction for skilled foreign nationals rather than adding to it. Slovakia is encouraging more immigrants by relaxing its policies; longer stays, better opportunities.
We'll be back next Tuesday. Until then, your only job is to act on what you've just read.
Regards,
The Radius Team.
