Visa applications to the United Kingdom have dropped significantly following the introduction of stricter immigration policies in December 2023.
Part of the policy adjustment was the restriction of international students from bringing their dependents into the UK unless they were enrolled in postgraduate research courses or government-funded scholarship programmes.
Figures released by the UK Home Office at the weekend showed that the number of visa applications fell from 141,000 to 91,000, translating to over 30 per cent.
The British government introduced the new rules as part of efforts to curb immigration, which reached a record high of 1.22 million last year.
As a result of the restrictions, study visa applications dropped by 16 per cent between January and July 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.
There was also an 81 per cent decline in visa applications from the dependants of students, reflecting the sharp effect of the new rules.
Applications for Health and Care Worker visas have also dropped by 80 per cent during the same period.
“Monthly numbers of Health and Care Worker visa applications from main applicants increased from 4,100 to 18,300 between February 2022 and August 2023, following the addition of care workers to the skilled worker visa. Applications have decreased since August 2023, falling to 2,900 in July 2024,” the report by the Home Office said.
