Brazil’s F-1 visa issuance declined less than the global total in calendar year 2025, while other measures point to rising interest in study abroad.
Visa issuance and candidate volume show different trends
F-1 visa issuance fell by a third in calendar year 2025 compared with 2024, while Brazil’s own issuance declined by only 1%. The comparison shows Brazil’s visa movement was milder than the global contraction, though issuance did not rise. Both totals declined, but at sharply different rates. These figures concern F-1 visa issuance, not a complete count of everyone seeking education abroad.¹²
The volume of Brazil-based TOEFL candidates increased in fiscal year 2026. Candidate volume offers a measure distinct from visas issued: one tracks candidates, while the other tracks visa issuance. The two indicators therefore describe different parts of the picture. Brazil’s visa issuance edged down even as the number of Brazil-based candidates rose, showing that movement in one measure does not necessarily match movement in another.¹
Higher education gains ground in study-abroad interest The BELTA survey polled seventy-four agency groups and more than two thousand two hundred students.
Higher education gains ground in study-abroad interest
The BELTA survey polled seventy-four agency groups and more than two thousand two hundred students. In its results, higher education programs accounted for 23.6% of Brazilians interested in studying abroad, compared with 12.7% reported one year earlier. The figures track the share of interested Brazilians naming higher education, rather than visa issuance or candidate volume. They show a larger place for higher education in the survey’s measure of study-abroad interest.¹
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Read More →Language programs moved in the opposite direction as a main objective for education abroad: their share decreased from 38.6% to 25.8%. Read alongside the higher-education figures, the survey records a change in the mix of stated study-abroad objectives. It does not establish why respondents’ preferences shifted, but it shows that language study took a smaller share while higher education took a larger one.¹
Destination rankings and Canada interest shift
Spain rose from ninth to seventh in the BELTA survey’s destination ranking. The United Arab Emirates entered the ranking for the first time, at thirteenth. These movements show changes in the positions recorded by the survey, rather than a measure of visa approvals or enrolment. The new entry and Spain’s higher rank add detail to the destination picture alongside the change in the types of programs Brazilians say they want to pursue.¹
TOEFL internal data shows a 20% increase in Brazilian higher education candidates aiming at Canada. Canada remains second after the US as a destination for those candidates. The figures describe a specific group—Brazilian higher education candidates—and should be read separately from the broader BELTA survey of study-abroad interest. Together, they identify Canada’s position among higher education destinations and an increase in candidates targeting it.¹²
Brazilians report gaps in measuring school progress
The ETS 2026 Human Progress Report surveyed eighteen countries. In Brazil, 87% of respondents think the country does not adequately measure what students learn at school. That was the highest figure anywhere in the study. The finding concerns confidence in how learning is measured within the country; it is separate from the visa, TOEFL-candidate and destination measures of international education interest.¹
Another 86% of Brazilians say the country lacks the assessment systems needed to track how students are progressing. This concern is about the systems used to follow student progress, alongside the broader concern that learning itself is not adequately measured. The results add an education-system dimension to the picture of Brazil: respondents reported concerns about both measuring learning and tracking progress through school.¹
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Read More →The finding concerns confidence in how learning is measured within the country; it is separate from the visa, TOEFL-candidate and destination measures of international education interest.¹
Weigh Brazil's Shift Toward Higher Education
If you advise Brazilian students or recruit from Brazil, the mix of study-abroad goals has changed. Higher education now accounts for 23.6% of interested Brazilians, up from 12.7% a year earlier, while language programs fell from 38.6% to 25.8%. That shift suggests you should weigh roles in university admissions, pathway programs, or higher-ed counselling over language-school placements. Spain's move to seventh and the UAE's first-time entry at thirteenth also point to new destination markets to track for outreach.¹²
For Brazilian candidates targeting higher education, Canada stands out. TOEFL data shows a 20% increase in Brazilian higher-ed candidates aiming at Canada, which remains second after the US. If you build skills for Canadian admissions or student services, demand is rising. Separately, 87% of Brazilians say their country does not adequately measure student learning, the highest figure in the study, and 86% see missing assessment systems. That gap points to opportunities in education assessment, curriculum design, or ed-tech roles serving Brazil's domestic system.¹²
Sources
Written by Career Ahead AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify key facts. Report errors to support@careeraheadonline.com
