The UK government recently published its latest immigration data for the year ending June 2024, showing a total of 1.16 million visas granted for work, study and family purposes, including for dependents. The report revealed sharp declines across all major visa categories, with work visas for principal applicants down 11% and study visas for overseas students down 13% compared to the previous year.
These figures cover short- and long-term visas, visa extensions and changes, as well as grants of settlement and citizenship for those already resident in the UK.
Work visas are decreasing
In the year ending June 2024, 286,382 visas were granted to principal applicants across all employment categories. This marked an 11% drop compared to the previous year, but was still more than double the figure for 2019.
A notable decline was seen in visas for “health and care workers”, with 89,095 visas issued to principal applicants. This represents a 26% drop compared to the previous year, and the period from April to June 2024 showed a drop of 81% compared to the same quarter in 2023.
While the “Skilled Worker” category has more than doubled since 2021, it experienced a slight decline of 3% in the most recent year, with 88,653 visas granted to principal applicants.
Dependents of workers were also a large group, with 260,392 visas granted in the year ending June 2024. Dependents of health and care workers accounted for 69% of these. Meanwhile, the number of “temporary worker” visas stood at 77,419, including 34,332 for seasonal workers and 24,091 issued under the Youth Mobility Scheme.
Fewer study visas for foreign students
In the year ending June 2024, 432,225 sponsored study visas were granted to international students, which was 13% fewer than the previous year but still 61% more than in 2019. Two-thirds (65%) of these were for master’s level courses.
A sharp drop was seen in the issuance of visas for student dependents. Between January and June 2024, only 11,675 visas for student dependents were issued, a reduction of 81% compared to the same period in 2023. Meanwhile, principal applicants saw a 23% drop in the same time period.
Family visas are on the rise
There was a notable increase in family-related visa applications, with 98,906 filed in the year ending June 2024, representing a 40% jump from the previous year.
People who come to the UK via family visa routes are more likely to settle in the country long-term compared to those who come to work or study. According to the Migrant Journey 2023 report, 62% of those who entered the UK via family routes since 2007 had been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) within five years, and this figure rose to 83% after 10 years. In contrast, only 21% of work visa holders and 7% of student visa holders were granted ILR after a decade.
Settlement and citizenship figures
In terms of settlement, 137,020 people were granted settled status in the UK in the year ending June 2024. This represents an increase of 17% on the previous year, when 117,023 people were granted settled status.
British citizenship was granted to almost a quarter of a million people (246,488) during the same period, an increase of 37% compared to the year ending June 2023, when 180,243 people were granted citizenship.
Safe and legal (humanitarian) routes to the United Kingdom
In the year ending June 2024, 93,342 people were offered a safe and legal (humanitarian) route to or from the UK.
In the year ending June 2024, 39% fewer visas were granted on safe and legal (humanitarian) routes compared to the previous year, largely due to reduced visa use and extensions under the Ukraine Plan.
First published: September 16, 2024 | 16:55 IS
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