The High Cost of Nepal’s Student Exodus

Nearly 550,000 Nepalis going abroad on student visas in six years should elicit a difficult question: What is pushing so many to fly thousands of miles away to other countries? It is not simply because students want a foreign degree. As Nepalis go abroad, many for relatively short periods, some have gone to find jobs, earn income and secure a higher, more stable standard of living. This, however, has made matters worse at home and serves as a warning for the nation’s future. Between FY 2020/21 and 2025/26, 548,717 Nepalis received No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to study in 83 different countries. The figures jumped dramatically after the Covid-19 period, from only 27,211 in 2020/21 to over 91,000 in 2021/22, and crossed 100,000 annually thereafter, reaching 117,805 in 2024/25. While these volumes do not represent the exact number of students migrating because some acquire NOCs repeatedly, the trend is clear. Japan has now surpassed Australia in popularity. Over the five-year period, 156,407 NOCs were issued for Japan, compared with 127,916 for Australia. The United Kingdom was next, with 75,927, followed by Canada with 42,870 and South Korea with 33,871. The number of NOCs issued for Japan grew from about 19 percent of Nepal’s total NOCs in 2022/23 to over 30 percent in 2023/24. The trend demonstrates changes in immigration policies, greater job opportunities, better-paying job markets, affordability, and the appeal of working while studying in other countries. The monetary impact is also noteworthy. During the period, Nepali students spent close to Rs 556.68 billion on foreign education.