The number of foreign ­students applying to graduate schools in the US rose for the second year in a row, according to a survey released on Monday.

The survey, which was conducted by the Council of Graduate Schools, said this year’s 8 per cent increase in foreign applications – which comes on the heels of last year’s 12 per cent rise – was an indication that the US government’s attempts at making the student visa process more user-friendly appeared to be working.