According to the UK Home Office data, visa applications to the UK fell sharply by 37% over the year ending March 2025, dropping to 772,200 from nearly 1.24 million in the previous 12 months.
This significant decline affected major visa categories, including work, study, and family reunion visas. Experts suggest the drop reflects the impact of stricter immigration rules introduced early in 2024.
Last year, the former Conservative government implemented several changes aimed at reducing peak net migration levels. These measures included barring overseas healthcare workers and students from bringing family members and raising the salary threshold for skilled workers by 48% to £38,700.
Latest forecasts indicate that net migration figures, when updated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in May, will show a considerable decrease.
Dr. Ben Brindle, a researcher at the Oxford Migration Observatory, commented: “The previous government’s tighter immigration policies have led to a sharp fall in visa applications over the past year, mainly driven by a collapse in applications from healthcare workers and student dependents, many of whom are now no longer eligible to come to the UK.”
Applications from healthcare and care workers have also declined, possibly reflecting fewer vacancies and increased government scrutiny of labor exploitation in the sector.
Despite these falls, Dr. Brindle added that the number of non-EU nationals applying for visas remains significantly higher than pre-Brexit levels, with overall net migration still well above those earlier figures as of mid-2024.
Healthcare Worker Visas
The largest drop in applications was seen among overseas healthcare workers and their families, which plummeted by 78% from 359,300 in 2023/24 to just 80,700 in 2024/25. This steep decline aligns with the ban on family members accompanying overseas care staff.
Skilled Worker Visas
Applications for skilled worker visas outside the healthcare sector fell by 16%, while dependent applications decreased by 13%. Dr. Brindle noted this smaller decline may reflect employers opting to pay higher wages rather than filling vacancies through other immigration routes or leaving positions unfilled due to the higher salary requirement.
Student Visas and Dependents
Student visa applications saw a moderate decrease, but family members of student visa holders experienced a dramatic 83% reduction compared to the previous year. Main applicant student visa requests declined by 11%.
A policy change in January 2024 prohibited most international students from bringing dependents, except for those enrolled in postgraduate research courses or holding government-funded scholarships.
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