The UK has seen a 35% drop in visa applications over the past year due to new, stricter immigration policies. Official figures from the Home Office, released on August 8, 2024, reveal that applications fell from 141,000 to 91,000 since the introduction of the rules in January 2024.
The new regulations, which were implemented in December 2023, particularly affect international students by limiting their ability to bring dependants unless they are enrolled in postgraduate research or government-funded programs. This policy aims to reduce the high levels of immigration, which hit a record 1.22 million last year.
The education sector has experienced a 16% decline in study visa applications and an 81% drop in dependant visa applications. The healthcare sector has also been impacted, with Health and Care Worker visa applications falling by 80% from their peak in August 2023.
Despite these reductions, the UK government remains committed to its immigration control measures while focusing on cultivating a domestic workforce to address skilled labor shortages.
News Editor