#IELTS

A sharp drop in IDP Education’s shares signals a broader shift in global student mobility. The Australian-headquartered education services giant warned it could see a steep decline in placement volumes as governments tighten visa rules. The market reacted quickly, with shares tumbling by almost half at one point. The ahead-of-year outlook also anticipates a drop in IELTS testing volumes, a key step for visa and admissions processes. For Thai students and families, the news adds fresh uncertainty as outbound study plans rely on stable cross-border pathways.

Shares of IDP Education, the Australian-headquartered international student placement giant, plummeted as much as 48 percent after the company announced it was bracing for a steep decline in student placement volumes, warning investors that tightening government visa rules are upending the market for cross-border education Reuters, Investing.com. The warning, issued on June 3, reverberated not just through financial markets but across the global higher education sector—including Thailand, a country with a fast-growing cohort of outbound students and deepening ties to international universities.