Visa applications in the UK decreased by 25 percent due to stricter rules introduced earlier in 2024.
During the Q1 of 2024, the number of student-dependent applications dropped by 79 percent compared to the same period in 2023.
The government has warned of additional rules concerning immigration if necessary.
The United Kingdom has witnessed a 25 percent drop in visa applications across key routes during the first quarter of 2024, as per the latest statistics from the Home Office.
Such a decrease in visa applications is attributed to the stricter rules introduced earlier this year by the government to reduce unsustainable migration, VisaGuide.World reports.
Commenting on the new figures, Home Secretary James Cleverly said that the plan to reduce legal migration in the UK is working. Among other things, it was noted that the new measures aim to prioritize the British workers.
Our approach is about control and fairness: to the highly skilled coming here who deserve a decent wage, to taxpayers who shouldn’t be relied on to support them, and to British workers who shouldn’t be undercut.
Student Dependent Applications Fell by 79%
In January 2024, the UK government introduced stricter rules concerning student visas. Such measures have been reflected in both the number of student and student-dependent applications.
According to official statistics, the UK saw a 79 percent decrease in student-dependent applications made between January and April 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Furthermore, the UK received 30,000 fewer student visa applications in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same timeframe in 2023.
In April 2024, the government introduced new visa rules concerning foreign care workers, restricting them from bringing their families to the UK.
Following this measure, authorities witnessed a significant drop in Health and Care dependant application numbers. In April 2024, the UK recorded 6,400 such applications, marking a 58 percent decrease compared to the same month in 2023.
Together with efforts to crack down on abuse, through our changes requiring firms sponsoring migrant care workers in England to be CQC registered, we are determined to see these numbers continue to fall.
In addition to the above-mentioned measures, the UK has introduced new rules in an effort to reduce migration and prioritize British workers.
Among others, the minimum salary threshold for foreigners coming to the UK with a Skilled Labor visa has been increased from £26,200 to £38,700.
However, the government has warned of more measures regarding immigration if necessary.
We will continue to keep these measures under close review, and if needed, we will not hesitate to go further.
These measures are part of the Home Secretary’s plan to reduce legal migration, implying that nearly 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would no longer be able to.
