The purpose of this study is to review the trends and issues of English-Medium Instruction (EMI) degree programs at higher education. EMI programs at higher education in Japan were launched under the government policy in 2009 aiming to attract the excellent international students and to enhance the global competitiveness of Japanese universities. Since then, EMI programs have kept expanding but as the provision of such programs is still a peripheral phenomenon, not enough attention has been paid for it. By reviewing previous literature in Europe, East Asia, and Japan, this study attempts to clarify the similarities and differences of EMI programs among those regions. With comparative perspectives, the study seeks to present the implications of issues and challenges for Japanese universities that should be investigated in the future research of this field.