Key Notes
- The UK granted 286,382 work visas by June 2024, an 11% decrease from the previous year.
- Health and care sector visas dropped by over 80%, with 89,085 issued by June 2024.
- Student visas fell by 13% to 432,000, and refugee applications dropped by 8% to 97,000.
The UKBA has released the Q2 UK Immigration Statistics 2024 which shows an immense decrease in visas issued for employment and study purposes. Overall, 286,382 work visas were issued during the first 6 months of the current year which is 11% less than last year’s same period.
The official statistics of the UKBA show that most of the downfall has been observed for the categories of a carer, family reunion, student, and student partner visas.
| Visa Category | Visas Granted (till June 2024) | Percentage Change from Previous Year (same period) |
| Total Work Visas Granted | 286,382 | 11% decrease |
| Health and Care Sector Visas | 89,085 | 80% decrease |
| Foreign Student Visas Granted | 432,000 | 13% decrease |
| Student Family Visas Granted | 11,675 | 81% decrease (first six months of 2024) |
| Refugee Applications | 97,000 | 8% decrease |
| Irregular/Clandestine Arrivals | 38,784 (80% via small boats across the English Channel) | – |
| Pending Protection Claims | 118,882 | – |
Shadow home secretary James Cleverly of the Conservative Party said about the fall in immigration numbers:
When I said I was going to cut migration, I meant it. The actions I took as home secretary are working. I reformed visas and cut net migration that’s the inheritance I left Labour.
The previous government aimed to cut immigration into Britain to 300,000 per year which would decrease the abuse of the system. To tackle the immense increase for the following visa categories:
- carers and their dependents;
- students and their dependents; and
- lower level skilled workers and their dependents;
the UK government announced many strict measures such as a ban on dependents of the carers, higher salary threshold requirements for family skilled workers, etc.
Statistics for different immigration categories
In the year leading up to June 2024, 1.23 million visas (1,234,817) were granted to individuals entering the country for various reasons or through government settlement schemes. This figure represents a decrease from the 1,435,372 visas issued during the previous 12 months.
About 28,419 visas were issued under the Ukraine visa schemes, down from 89,226, and 22,306 were granted to British National (Overseas) status holders from Hong Kong, down from 37,160.
Under the EU Settlement Scheme, 14,363 visas were issued, down from 28,899, and 4,049 were granted through other settlement schemes, down from 4,978.
A total of 546,774 work visas were issued, showing a slight increase from 538,222 in the year ending June 2023. Meanwhile, 530,496 study visas were granted, down from 656,589, and 84,403 family visas were issued, up from 75,131. Additionally, 4,007 visas were given to dependants joining or accompanying others, a decrease from 5,167.
New Rules that caused immigration numbers fall
As also reported by visa-guru.com, back in May and August, this fall in immigration numbers is due to the series of new rules introduced by the UK government. These came into effect one by one during January and April 2024. Some of these are as follows:
| New Rules | Details |
| Ban on Care Workers Bringing Family Dependants | Effective from 12 March 2024, care workers cannot bring family dependants to the UK. |
| Abolishment of the Shortage Occupations List | Removal of the list that previously allowed certain occupations to bypass standard immigration controls. |
| Increase in Healthcare Surcharge | The annual surcharge for healthcare will rise to £1,035. |
| Increase in Minimum Salary for Skilled Worker Visa | The minimum salary requirement for a UK skilled worker visa will rise to £38,700 per year from 4 April 2024. |
| Changes to Occupation Codes | Updates to the codes used to classify job roles for immigration purposes. |
| Mandatory Registration for Carer Companies | Carer companies must register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). |
| Introduction of the New “Immigration Salary List” | The minimum salary requirement for UK skilled worker visa will rise to £38,700 per year from 4 April 2024. |