Number of Applicants to Work or Study in the UK Drops

Number of Applicants to Work or Study in the UK Drops

The number of overseas workers and students applying to come to the UK has seen a notable decline, following the introduction of visa restrictions by the previous government.

In July, applications for skilled worker, health and care, and study visas, including those from workers’ family members, dropped by over a third to 91,300 compared to the same period last year.

The decrease has been particularly sharp for health and care visas, where monthly applications fell by 82% to 2,900 in July. Meanwhile, the number of people applying to study in the UK also saw a reduction, down 15% to 69,500.

These official figures suggest that overall immigration numbers are set to decrease significantly.

Net migration reached an all-time high of 764,000 in 2022, with inflows remaining above historical averages at 685,000 last year.

The Conservative government under Rishi Sunak imposed bans on those coming to study in the UK and on health and care visas from bringing family members, a policy that Labour does not plan to alter.

Initial figures from the Home Office for July indicate that about 15% fewer sponsored student visa applications were received last month, continuing the downward trend observed since the beginning of the year.

This suggests that the policies introduced by the previous government could help Keir Starmer, the prime minister, fulfill his pledge to reduce the “sky-high” levels of net migration.

The University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory has projected that net migration will continue to decline considerably over the next five years, potentially dropping to around 350,000 by 2030. This decrease is expected to be driven by more people leaving Britain, fewer overseas students arriving in the UK, and a reduction in private sector job vacancies.

However, the think tank has cautioned that this fall in numbers could result in significant “trade-offs,” as universities may struggle with declining revenues and the health and social care sector could face potential recruitment challenges.

The total number of people applying to come to the UK as skilled workers, healthcare workers, or students has decreased from 143,000 in July last year to 91,300 in July this year, representing a 36% drop.

James Cleverly, the then Home Secretary, announced a ban on care workers bringing partners and children to the UK, a policy that was enacted in March. Additionally, the Conservative government tightened the rules on which companies are permitted to sponsor visas, amid concerns that the system was being misused.

Labour has announced plans for legislation aimed at improving pay and conditions in the social care sector.

In January, the Conservatives also banned international students from bringing family members unless they were enrolled in postgraduate research courses.

A Home Office spokesperson told The Times: “We have laid out a clear plan to bring down historically high levels of legal migration by addressing the root causes behind high international recruitment.

By linking immigration with the labor market and skills systems, we will ensure that we train up our homegrown workforce and address the shortage of skills. Immigration brings many benefits to the UK, but it must be controlled and delivered through a fair system.”

FAQs

1. Why has there been a significant drop in applications for work and study visas in the UK?
The drop is largely due to visa restrictions introduced by the previous government, which limited the ability of overseas workers and students to bring family members with them to the UK.

2. How will the reduction in visa applications impact the UK’s immigration levels?
The reduction in visa applications is expected to lead to a significant decrease in overall immigration numbers, potentially helping the government achieve its goal of reducing net migration.

3. What are the potential consequences of the decline in overseas students and workers?
The decline could result in challenges for universities, which may face declining revenues, and the health and social care sectors, which could experience recruitment difficulties.