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 7th -July 14th, 2026.
TL;DR
TOP STORIES FROM ACROSS GLOBE
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US Student Visa Changes; who will be affected by the new 4-year stay rule?
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England to push on with international student levy despite sector’s concerns
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Gulf States signal strong demand for African students
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Nigerians in US must now apply for visas directly
- Mexico has New Visa Requirements and a New Visa Category
USA
The Department of Homeland Security's proposal to replace 'duration of status' with a fixed four-year admission period has cleared White House and OMB review, and now awaits an implementation date.
Students who need more than four years to complete their programme, especially PhD and research scholars, would have to apply to USCIS for a formal extension of stay before their fixed admission period runs out.
Currently, admission for F-1 students is open-ended, but as per the new rule proposals, this will change. Foreigners in the F, J, and I non-immigrant classifications, such as international students and exchange visitors, are allowed to stay in the US for the ‘duration of status’, provided they maintain their non-immigrant status and meet certain conditions.
Source; Financial Express
ENGLAND
The UK government is pressing ahead with plans to introduce a levy on the international student fee income of English universities despite concerns raised by the sector. The Levy legislation is to be introduced as part of autumn’s Finance Bill before coming into force in academic year 2027/28.
Providers are questioning how levy will work in practice as they seek clarity on which students could be exempt from the plans. This Levy however will not apply to international students enrolled in transnational education (TNE) delivered outside the UK, although English providers delivering programs in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland are still liable.
Source; PIE News
UAE
The investment by Arab Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, in scholarship programmes, and Western visa restrictions, have turned the Gulf region into a higher education hub for African students.
While traditional Western destinations like the United States and the United Kingdom have tightened admissions, the Gulf has capitalised by positioning itself as a welcoming, affordable, and high-quality alternative through providing fully funded scholarships.
On 7 July, the UAE-based Africa Institute of the Global Studies University announced it will host a series of senior and post-doctoral fellowships, awarded through its Research Fellowships Programme.
Source; University World News
NIGERIA
The Nigeria Immigration Service has announced the disengagement of Online Integrated Solutions, popularly known as OIS Services, as the operator of Nigeria’s Visa Application and Submission Centres in the United States.
The immigration service said all applicants seeking Nigerian visas are now required to submit their applications directly at the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, DC, or at the Consulates of Nigeria in New York and Atlanta, until further notice.
Source; PUNCH NG
MEXICO
Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Relations and Ministry of Interior have modified the general guidelines for the issuance of visas. Key changes include new requirements for the Temporary Resident Visa with authorization to work/remunerated activity and a new application route for the Temporary Residence with non-remunerated activity for highly skilled personnel who will come to Mexico and transfer knowledge to Mexican employees.
Source; kpmg
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. F-1 visa holders and PhD applicants to the US: A fixed four-year admission period is moving closer to implementation. If your programme runs longer particularly doctoral or research tracks factor in the USCIS extension process as part of your timeline and budget planning
2. Applicants to English universities: The international student levy takes effect in 2027/28. If you're starting then, factor potential cost increases into your planning and watch for updates on which student categories may be exempt.
3. African students reconsidering Western destinations: Gulf institutions particularly in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are actively expanding funded pathways. The Africa Institute's Research Fellowships Programme is worth a direct look if postdoctoral or senior research opportunities are relevant to you
4. Applying for a Nigerian visa from the US: OIS centres are no longer operational. Submit your application directly at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC or the consulates in New York or Atlanta confirm current processing times and required documents before visiting.
IN SUMMARY;
Western policy is making the path to traditional study destinations narrower and more expensive while the US is adding bureaucratic checkpoints, England is adding costs, and Nigeria's visa infrastructure in America has quietly collapsed. Meanwhile, the countries positioning themselves as alternatives are doing so with intention: the Gulf is funding what the West is restricting, and Mexico is rewriting its own entry rules on its terms. The net effect is a student mobility landscape that is fragmenting, with fewer assumptions holding across any single destination.
We'll be back next Tuesday. Until then, your only job is to act on what you've just read .
Regards,
The Radius Team
