According to the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), immigration trends in the United Kingdom have declined.
The decrease in student visas, which formerly offered simpler options for settling in the UK, is a significant contributing factor to this decline.
Decrease in UK Student Visas: What Is The Reason?
Student migration has been impacted by changes to post-study employment opportunities that have undermined confidence in post-graduation pathways.
1.2 million people moved to the UK in the year before June 2024, of which:
- Non-EU nationals made up 86%.
- 10% were from EU nations.
- British returnees made up 5%.
By June 2023, 1,42,848 student visas had been issued to Indian nationals, a 54% increase from the year before, making them the largest group eligible for sponsored study visas.
These figures were greatly impacted by policy changes put in place in January 2024 under then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, such as limitations on bringing dependents and more stringent guidelines for changing to work visas mid-study.
Number of Dependent Visas Fell By 69%
As a result, the number of dependent visas issued fell precipitously by 69% to 46,961, while the number of student visas issued fell 19% year over year to 392,969 (October 2023–September 2024).
With 2.40 lakh immigrants, India led non-EU migration, followed by:
- Nigeria (1.20 lakh)
- Pakistan (1.01 lakh)
- China (78,000)
- Zimbabwe (36,000).
Most non-EU nationals came in search of employment (417,000), education (375,000), or asylum (84,000).
Enroly, a platform for international student admissions, reported a 30% drop in key metrics for January 2024, including deposit payments, CAS issuance, and visa applications, indicating that UK universities are feeling the effects of these changes.
A 3% decrease in enrollment and a 32.55% decrease in CAS issuance for Indian students were also noted by UCAS data.
Universities are being forced to adjust as a result of changing immigration laws and declining student enrollment, which is creating uncertainty in the UK’s international education market.
