The UK government says visa applications have dropped from 141,000 to 91,000, about 35.46 percent, since changes to the immigration policy came into effect.
In December 2023, the government introduced new rules to the reduce immigration from a record 1.22 million.
The changes, which came into effect in January 2024, banned international students from bringing dependants, except those on postgraduate research courses or government-funded scholarships.
According to statistics by the Home Office, study visa applications between January to July 2024 reduced by 16 percent compared with January to July 2023.
Similarly, there were 13,100 applications from dependants of students between January and July 2024 —about 81 percent fewer than January to July 2023.
The country also recorded an 80 percent fall in the number of applications for health and care worker visas within this period
The move was part of the government’s broader effort to curb immigration, which reached a record high of 1.22 million last year.
The impact of these restrictions has been particularly pronounced in the education sector.
Between January and July 2024, study visa applications dropped by 16 per cent compared to the same period in 2023.
More significantly, there was an 81 per cent decline in visa applications from the dependants of students, reflecting the sharp effect of the new rules.
The healthcare sector has also been severely affected, with applications for Health and Care Worker visas plummeting by 80 per cent during the same period.
This followed a surge in applications aftercare workers were added to the skilled worker visa category in 2022.
The Executive co-chairman of the National Care Association, Nadra Ahmed, expressed concern that many healthcare workers are now opting to relocate to countries with less restrictive immigration policies.
Despite these challenges, the UK government remains steadfast in its commitment to controlling immigration, while simultaneously focusing on developing a “homegrown workforce” to address the nation’s shortage of skilled workers.
