Britain"s private schools are one of its most successful exports. The children of the wealthy【C1】______to them, whether from China, Nigeria or Russia: the number of foreign pupils rose by 1.4% in the last year alone. 【C2】______foreign students, whether educated in British private schools or elsewhere, are decreasingly likely to go to English universities. According to the Higher Education Funding Council for England, 307,200【C3】______students began their studies in the country in 2012-13, down from 312,000 two years earlier and the first【C4】______in 29 years. Student numbers from the rest of the EU fell—【C5】______a result of the increase in annual tuition【C6】______in England from ￡6,000 a year to ￡9,000. But【C7】______from India and Pakistan declined most sharply. 【C8】______the visa regime for private schools, which is extremely【C9】______(the Home Office counts private schools as favored sponsors), student visas have been tightened. Foreign students used to be allowed to work for up to two years after graduating. They now have only four months to find a job paying upwards of ￡20,600 if they want to stay in Britain. This change was【C10】______to deal with sham colleges that were【C11】______offering two-year work visas. But it seems to have put【C12】______serious students too. Nick Hillman of the Higher Education Policy Institute says the government has sent unclear messages about the sort of immigration it wants to【C13】______. An emphasis on holding down net immigration discourages young Indians and Pakistanis in particular. Australia and America, which have more【C14】______entry criteria for students, are becoming more favored【C15】______. Colin Riordan, Cardiff University"s vice-chancellor, adds that Britain"s student-visa regime has become more burdensome and complicated【C16】______. As a result, Britain is losing out to other countries in the【C17】______for talent—an odd thing,【C18】______how often the prime minister bangs on about the "global race". Its unwelcoming stand will【C19】______its long-term prospects. And the【C20】______of foreign students from leading British private schools to American colleges may have another, somewhat happier, consequence: America might become rather better at cricket.