The number of overseas workers, students, and their families applying for UK visas has dropped by a third over the past year.
This significant decline follows recent rule changes by the Conservative government, which now restrict most international students and health and social care workers from bringing their families to the UK. According to provisional Home Office data, visa applications from migrants and their families fell from approximately 141,000 in July 2023 to 91,000 last month.
Notably, applications for health and care worker visas plummeted by 80%, down to 2,900. The Home Office stated that its aim is to “train up our homegrown workforce and address the shortage of skills,” while also maintaining that immigration must be managed through a fair system.
Nadra Ahmed, executive co-chairman of the National Care Association, reported that some workers have begun returning home or moving to countries with more welcoming immigration policies. She noted that building a domestic workforce could take several years and warned that the sector might face a rise in vacancies to unsustainable levels.
The decrease in international students could also impact universities that are already under financial strain. The Migration Observatory suggests that factors such as Nigeria’s currency crisis may have contributed to the drop in student visa applications.
New rules implemented by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak aimed at reducing high immigration levels have also led to a decline in visa applications. In 2022, net migration reached 764,000 but decreased by 10% the following year. The Office for National Statistics has stated that it is too early to determine if this marks the beginning of a long-term trend.
