On March 26, 2025, the US Embassy in India cancelled over 2,000 visa appointments citing fraudulent behaviour by ‘bad actors’ who reserved slots in bulk to resell to students. It made headlines, but for many of us in international education, it wasn’t a surprise.
It has also retreated from headlines as if it were a glitch in the Matrix. The actors may be ‘bad’, but the stage was built, and continues to be funded, by universities that have chosen expediency over ethics.
Much of the commentary following my last column in The PIE News focused not on the arguments, but on me: questioning my experience, my credentials, even whether I was a real person (an easy distraction).
Our field, which should be about expanding access and creating opportunity, has become crowded with middlemen profiting from student confusion and institutional complacency. At what cost is the field of international education using agents?
Over the past two decades, I’ve watched the international student recruitment landscape change dramatically.
What used to be a handful of trusted partnerships has turned into a tangled web of agents, sub-agents, and investor-backed edtech platforms.
Supporters of the agent model always say that students need help navigating complex systems. That is true. However, giving control to someone who profits from the direction they point a student towards is not student-centred.
If agents are necessary, why aren’t they regulated? Why do students report being ghosted, overcharged, or misled about programs and outcomes? Why do we, as universities, continue to legitimise this model?
The visa cancelations in India this year were not isolated incidents. They were systemic abuses enabled by university-sanctioned networks.
When agents or their third-party intermediaries hoard appointments to sell later, they exploit both the students and the diplomatic systems meant to support them. They distort the visa ecosystem just as they distort the admissions process.
Similar dynamics have played out in other countries with high student mobility, from appointment scalping in Nigeria, predatory advising in Nepal, or unethical agent practices in parts of Southeast Asia. The problem is global, but our institutional responses remain fragmented and reactive.
The issues do not just happen outside the US, the harm continues on our own campuses.
A recent anonymous post in an international education Facebook group illustrates how aggregators control information without being held accountable for the negative impact on a student and demonstrates how universities continue to enable such behaviour.
While the original post and some comments are empathetic and recognise the issues with the aggregator and its sub-agents, sadly other comments reveal a callous attitude, calling it a life lesson for the student instead of an opportunity for change.
Universities cannot be passive and remain complicit when these practices are so pervasive. We created the demand. We offered the incentives, and we continue to validate the system by funding it and not demanding change.
I truly believe we can build something better.
In response to criticism that I’m turning my back on students by rejecting agents, I want to be clear: I believe in supporting students directly and transparently.
In response to criticism that I’m turning my back on students by rejecting agents, I want to be clear: I believe in supporting students directly and transparently.
Universities have a unique obligation, as bastions of knowledge and educational access, to challenge the status quo and adopt student-centred recruitment practices.
At my institution, we’ve committed to direct and comprehensive support for students. Here are some alternatives to agents for consideration. If we combine these into a strategic, student-centred, and agent-absent plan, we can all uplift the field:
- We focus on building direct relationships across the world. We engage directly with high schools, counsellors, teachers, and students to provide accurate, personalised information about our programs through our internationalization partners. Forming direct partnerships allows universities to connect with students and counsellors at a critical decision-making stage
- We use technology to scale outreach. AI-driven platforms can help universities identify prospective students based on their academic interests and qualifications. Virtual events and online portals make it easier for students to engage directly with institutions
- We partner with trusted organisations. Many organisations and service providers offer unbiased and free advice to students and families. Collaborating with them ensures that students receive accurate information without the pressure of commission-driven sales
- We tap into the school spirit of current students. We have built a team of current students who act as mentors, guiding prospective students through the application process and sharing their experiences authentically
- We leverage our alumni networks. Our alumni serve as trusted ambassadors who can share their authentic experiences with prospective students
- We invest in digital outreach. Through virtual fairs, webinars, and social media campaigns, we connect with students without relying on intermediaries. We also use platforms that do not charge students for engagement and services nor preference any one university over another, and we have full control over the marketing and communications through these platforms.
I don’t claim this approach is easy or universally applicable, but it is rooted in our values and accountable to our mission and to the students we serve.
Every university should decide what kind of ecosystem it wants to build. Do we want to be part of the problem, or do we want to redefine how international recruitment can be done?
When embassies cancel thousands of appointments and the industry shrugs, we have a problem.
When universities enable unregulated agent networks and call it “support”, we have a problem. When a veteran in the field raises these issues and is personally attacked, we have a problem.
However, we also have a choice. We have the tools, the technology, and the institutional memory to build something better. At my university, this is our goal, and I encourage others to join us in reimagining what international recruitment looks like instead of defending a broken system.
Do you want to be the next Secret IO? Comment below or contribute anonymously by emailing editorial@thepienews.com
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The PIE News.
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