Portugal, a semi-peripheral player in international student mobility (ISM), has historically attracted few international students. Against a significant growth in international enrolments in recent years, this paper explores the institutional strategies underpinning this expansion in 13 Portuguese higher education institutions with the highest proportions of international students. Through semi-structured interviews with 24 top institutional leaders and middle managers, we analyse the recruitment strategies deployed to improve attractiveness and target publics through the lens of globalisation theories. Findings indicate that institutions are deliberately and proactively navigating the changing landscape of ISM through strategies that range from more traditional marketing actions to some very innovative and unique approaches to recruitment. They also reveal a deliberate diversification of target publics. The paper enhances knowledge about recruitment strategies in a less popular destination, highlighting that creativity and resourcefulness are necessary for semi-peripheral countries to gain terrain in international recruitment.