Impact of UK's Tougher Visa Rules: Drastic Drop in UK Applications

Impact of UK’s Tougher Visa Rules: Drastic Drop in UK Applications

Charlie Europe Immigration updates Latest Immigration News Living in the UK News & Events Studying in UK UK UK Immigration UK Points Based Visas UK Visa News UK Visas 13 January 2025 | Updated On January 15, 2025 | 0

Since introducing stricter immigration laws to curb legal migration, the United Kingdom (UK) has experienced a significant 42% drop in visa applications.

Between April and December 2024, applications plummeted from 942,500 in 2023 to just 547,000 a staggering decrease of nearly 400,000.

The most notable reductions were observed among international students and overseas care workers:

Health and Care Workers: Applications for health and care worker visas plunged by 79%, from 299,800 to 63,800. Social care leaders have widely criticized the decision to ban dependants for care workers as “brutal,” warning that it could exacerbate staffing shortages in an already strained sector.
International Students: Student visa applications dropped by 29%, from 546,100 to 389,800. This decline has compounded financial challenges for UK universities which are already grappling with frozen domestic tuition fees.

The overall number of international student enrolments fell by 20% during this period, with the sharpest declines in postgraduate applications from key markets:

Nigeria: -65%
India: -34%
Pakistan: -31%

A primary driver of this decline was the dependants ban implemented in January 2024, which limited postgraduate research students to the only category allowed to bring family members. As a result, applications from dependants plummeted by 84%.

This policy shift has been particularly damaging for postgraduate courses, where international students accounted for 71% of all full-time enrolments in 2022/23. In contrast, international students represented just 17% of undergraduate enrolments and 26% across all levels of study.

The government’s review of the Graduate Route, coupled with negative rhetoric surrounding migration, further eroded the UK's appeal to international students. These measures have contributed to growing concerns among universities about declining competitiveness on the global stage.

In contrast, skilled worker visa applications have remained relatively stable, with only a 3% drop—from 96,600 to 93,800—despite a salary threshold increase to £45,000. Skilled worker applications remain above pre-pandemic levels, signaling continued demand in this category.

Policy Reforms and Concerns

Between January and April 2024, the UK government introduced a range of reforms, including:

Increased salary thresholds.
Restrictions on dependants for specific visa categories.
Tighter rules for international students.

While these changes aim to reduce annual migration by 300,000, they have sparked criticism from the education and healthcare sectors. Critics warn of worsening labour shortages in healthcare and potential financial instability for universities reliant on international students.

The full impact of the policy shifts remains uncertain. However, as the UK seeks to balance migration controls with economic and sectoral needs, it will need to carefully assess the long-term consequences for critical sectors like healthcare, education, and international competitiveness.

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