UK work, study visa approvals plummet in 2024 amid tougher immigration rules

The United Kingdom’s Home Office has released new immigration statistics for the year ending March 2025, revealing a sharp decline in work and study visa approvals in 2024.

The figures reflect the early impact of stringent immigration reforms, including curbs on dependents and significant changes to the Health and Care Worker route, as well as new salary thresholds affecting foreign labour eligibility.

According to data cited by TraveloBiz, the UK issued 192,000 work visas to main applicants across all categories in 2024 — a 39% year-on-year drop, although still 40% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Analysts say the fall was triggered by diminished employer demand and stricter immigration criteria introduced throughout the year.

The Health and Care Worker visa category suffered the most dramatic fall, plunging 85% from its 2023 peak to just 23,000 approvals.

The decline was driven by new restrictions on dependents, a rise in salary thresholds, and complexities in sponsorship, which have made it harder for care providers to recruit foreign staff.

“This drop raises red flags for the UK’s overstretched care sector,” analysts warn, adding that the policy shift may worsen existing staffing shortages in critical healthcare roles.

The broader ‘Worker’ category — which includes Skilled Worker visas — saw a 23% decline, indicating that tighter immigration policies are dissuading international professionals from seeking UK employment.

READ ALSO: London’s Heathrow Airport temporarily shuts down due to power outage

While Temporary Worker visas also dropped by 6% to 75,000, they remain 83% above 2019 levels, largely due to ongoing demand for seasonal labour in agriculture and other short-term roles.

In contrast, the number of visa extensions surged, as more immigrants already in the UK opted to stay rather than return home. A record 434,000 work visa extensions were granted in 2024 — seven times higher than in 2019 — with most extensions coming from those on Graduate, Health and Care Worker, and Skilled Worker routes.

On the academic front, the UK issued 403,000 international student visas in the year ending March 2025, a 10% drop from the prior year.

But the most significant shift came in student-dependent visas, which plummeted by 83% to just 18,000 approvals. The collapse was directly linked to new government rules prohibiting most students from bringing dependents, which took effect in early 2024.

This policy change has affected thousands of families and is likely to impact the attractiveness of UK institutions for postgraduate students, particularly from Africa and Asia where dependents commonly accompany scholars.

Family-related visas fell by 3% overall to 76,000, with partner/spouse visas declining by 17%, reflecting tighter scrutiny and a dip in spousal migration.

In contrast, Refugee Family Reunion visas hit a historic high of 21,000, up from 12,000 in 2023 — the highest recorded since 2005 — amid rising numbers of refugees gaining recognition and reunifying with family members.

Despite declining new entries, more migrants successfully transitioned to permanent status. In 2024, 173,000 individuals were granted settlement, a 33% increase, with the Skilled Worker route contributing the largest share at 37% of all approvals, up 54% from the previous year.

UK citizenship approvals also rose sharply to 269,000 in 2025, more than doubling from 129,000 in 2021, signaling an increasing trend of long-term integration.

As immigration rules continue to evolve, international students, skilled workers, and UK-based employers are advised to stay closely updated on eligibility criteria and policy updates.

The new figures underscore the significant recalibration of the UK’s migration framework — with immediate effects now evident in visa numbers, sectoral staffing, and integration patterns.

While the long-term impact remains to be seen, early signs suggest a more selective and tightly regulated immigration environment is taking shape in post-Brexit Britain.