Indian students planning higher studies abroad are facing a triple challenge: tightening immigration rules in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, shrinking post-study work opportunities, and soaring living costs.

The explosive growth of artificial intelligence is adding another layer of uncertainty, pushing families to prioritise long-term job security over traditional high-paying fields, stated a report by India Today.

A new IDP Education report shows students worldwide are gravitating towards careers least vulnerable to automation. Healthcare and medicine overwhelmingly dominate the most secure roles, where the human element remains irreplaceable.

Top AI-safe professions (many require postgraduate study):

- Nurse practitioners – Median salary USD 126,260, projected growth 46.3% by 2031

- Physician assistants – USD 130,020, 28.5% growth

- Urologists – USD 236,000, 3.9% growth

- Rehabilitation physicians – USD 236,000, 3.9% growth

- Nurse anaesthetists – USD 212,650, 10.4% growth

Strong options available right after a bachelor’s degree:

- Physicists – USD 155,680, 7.2% growth

- Nurse midwives – USD 129,650, 7.1% growth

- Physical therapists – USD 99,710, 14% growth

- Dentists – USD 166,300, 4.8% growth

- Neurologists – USD 224,260, 6.8% growth

All these roles share one critical trait: they demand empathy, ethical judgment, creativity, complex decision-making, and real-time human interaction — qualities AI cannot replicate.

Why Indian students are taking note

Degrees leading to these AI-resilient careers significantly improve chances of:

- Securing jobs abroad

- Qualifying for post-study work visas

- Appearing on occupational shortage lists in Australia, Canada, and the UK

While engineering and IT degrees retain value, experts say healthcare, medicine, education, and other human-centred fields now offer the safest path in an increasingly selective global job market.