New Home Office figures show fewer work, student and family visas, a sharp fall in asylum claims and hotel use, but a significant rise in permanent settlement.
The number of work, study and family visas issued by the United Kingdom has fallen, while asylum claims and small-boat arrivals have also declined, according to the latest Home Office immigration statistics.
However, permanent settlement moved in the opposite direction. Almost 200,000 people were granted settlement in the year ending June 2026—24% more than the previous year and the highest annual number since 2011.
The official figures from Home Office present a changing picture of UK immigration. Fewer people are now entering through several of the main visa routes, but many who arrived in earlier years are reaching the stage at which they can apply to remain permanently.
UK immigration statistics at a glance
| Immigration category | Year ending June 2026 | Annual change |
| Work visas | 235,000 | Down 18% |
| Sponsored study visas | 383,000 | Down 11% |
| Family visas | 58,000 | Down 19% |
| Humanitarian-route grants | 125,000 | Down 12% |
| Detected illegal-route arrivals | 38,000 | — |
| Small-boat arrivals | 33,000 | Down 23% |
| People claiming asylum | 86,000 | Down 21% |
| People awaiting an initial asylum decision | 40,000 | Down 56% |
| Settlement grants, excluding EUSS | 199,628 | Up 24% |
| British citizenship grants | 245,520 | Down 4% |
| Returns from the UK | 41,000 | Up 8% |
Work visas statistics
The UK granted approximately 235,000 work visas, including visas for dependants. This was 18% lower than in the previous 12 months and 62% below the peak recorded in the year ending December 2023.
Within this total, around 120,000 visas were issued through the main Worker routes. That figure was 76% below the December 2023 peak.
The largest falls since that peak were seen in Health and Care Worker visas, which dropped by 90%, and Skilled Worker visas, which declined by 48%.
Furthermore, these figures indicate that changes introduced in recent years—particularly those affecting care workers, dependants and salary requirements—are now being clearly reflected in visa numbers.
There remains, however, a large population of workers already living in Britain. The Home Office granted approximately 731,000 work-route extensions during the latest year. Many involved people who originally received visas during the sharp rise in work migration in 2022 and 2023.
Student visa numbers
A total of 383,000 sponsored study visas were granted, representing an 11% annual decline. The figure was 41% below the peak reached in the year ending June 2023.
The reduction came mainly from principal students. Around 366,000 main applicants received sponsored study visas, 12% fewer than a year earlier. The number of student dependants remained broadly stable during the latest period.
China and India continued to dominate the international student market. Chinese nationals received approximately 86,000 visas, while Indian nationals received 83,000. Together, they accounted for 46% of sponsored study visas granted to main applicants.
Family visa grants
The Home Office issued around 58,000 family visas, a decline of 19% compared with the year ending June 2025.
The fall was largely linked to fewer Refugee Family Reunion grants following the temporary suspension of new applications in September 2025. A continuing reduction in Partner visa grants also contributed.
Yet family-related extensions rose sharply. Approximately 82,000 extensions were granted, an increase of 46%. Nearly all were connected to the Partner route.
This contrast is important. It suggests that fewer people are entering under family routes, while more people already in the country are extending their permission to remain.
Humanitarian-route statistics
There were 125,000 grants of permission under safe and legal humanitarian routes, 12% fewer than in the previous year.
Only 38,000 were issued to people outside the UK, a fall of 29%. The remainder went mainly to people already living in the country.
Of the 87,000 in-country grants, approximately 79,000 were made through the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme. The fall in overall humanitarian grants was linked to fewer Refugee Family Reunion and overseas British National (Overseas) visas, as well as fewer arrivals through the Afghan Resettlement Programme.
Small-boat arrivals
The Home Office recorded just over 38,000 detected arrivals through illegal entry routes. Around 33,000, or 88%, arrived in small boats.
Small-boat arrivals were 23% lower than in the preceding 12 months. Nevertheless, the latest total remained broadly similar to the 31,000 arrivals recorded in the year ending June 2024 and the 35,000 recorded in the year ending June 2022.
Eritrean, Sudanese, Afghan, Somali and Iranian nationals were the five largest nationality groups using small boats. Together, they represented about two-thirds of all such arrivals.
Asylum claims
Around 86,000 people claimed asylum in the UK, 21% fewer than in the previous year. Although this was a substantial fall, applications remained above the levels normally seen before 2021.
Just over half of asylum claimants had entered through an illegal route, including small boats. A further 41% had previously held a visa or another form of permission to remain.
The Home Office made initial decisions involving 116,000 people, 2% more than in the previous year and more than four times the annual average recorded between 2010 and 2019.
The initial grant rate fell from 48% to 38%. It was also well below the 77% peak recorded in the year ending September 2022.
Asylum hotel usage
At the end of June 2026, about 40,000 people were waiting for an initial asylum decision. This was 56% fewer than one year earlier and 77% below the June 2023 peak of 175,000.
There were 93,000 people receiving asylum support, a fall of 12%. Of these, approximately 16,000 were living in hotels—50% fewer than in June 2025.
The reduction in the initial decision backlog is considerable. It does not necessarily mean that every case has reached a final conclusion, because refused applicants may enter the appeals process. Even so, the figures show that the Home Office is deciding first-stage asylum cases more quickly than it did during the height of the backlog.
Permanent settlement numbers
The most striking increase was found in settlement, commonly known as Indefinite Leave to Remain.
There were 199,628 settlement grants outside the EU Settlement Scheme, up from 161,585 in the previous year. This was an increase of 24% and the highest annual total since 2011.
Former work-visa holders remained the largest group, receiving 80,409 settlement grants—36% more than a year earlier.
A second important factor was the British National (Overseas) route. Settlement grants to BN(O) visa holders rose from just 587 to 38,373 as the earliest arrivals under the route, introduced in 2021, completed their required residence period.
Indian nationals received the highest number of settlement grants, at 35,384. Hong Kong nationals followed with 22,593, while grants to Chinese nationals rose to 21,300.
EU settled status grants
Separately, the Home Office issued 336,229 grants of settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. Most went to people who had previously held pre-settled status.
When settlement grants, EU settled status and a small number of immediate family-settlement cases are combined, there were 537,698 grants of indefinite leave during the year—8% more than in the preceding period.
These categories should not be confused. Ordinary settlement and EU settled status operate under different legal systems and eligibility rules.
British citizenship statistics
A total of 245,520 people were granted British citizenship. This was 4% lower than the previous year, but the number remained high by historical standards.
Of these, 171,435 obtained citizenship through naturalisation, generally after completing the required period of residence and receiving permanent status. A further 74,085 received citizenship through registration, a process commonly used for children and people with a qualifying British connection.
Indian nationals received 24,851 citizenship grants, the highest number among all nationalities. Pakistani nationals were second with 18,489 grants.
Returns to home countries
The Home Office recorded 41,000 returns from the UK, an annual increase of 8%. This included approximately 9,700 enforced returns, up 7%, and 31,000 voluntary returns, up 9%. Around 6,000 foreign national offenders were returned, 12% more than in the previous year.
About 22,000 people entered immigration detention during the year, little changed from the previous period. At the end of June, 2,200 people were being held under immigration powers, an increase of 19%.
Expert opinion
We discussed with our chief immigration commentator Umer Rasib about the latest statistics and he said:
The latest figures do not tell a simple story of immigration rising or falling everywhere. New visas are declining across the major work, study and family routes. Asylum claims, small-boat arrivals and the initial decision backlog have also fallen. Returns and action against organised immigration crime have increased.
At the same time, permanent settlement is rising because large groups of people who entered Britain in earlier years are now completing the residence periods required for long-term status.
It is also important not to mistake the reported 136.8 million passenger arrivals for the number of immigrants. That total includes British nationals, tourists, business travellers and people making repeated journeys. It is not a measure of net migration or the number of people moving permanently to Britain.
Last but not least, the eyes are on Andy Burnham for the final decision on new earned settlement rules to be announced in Automn. Will he adapt all chnages published in white paper and chosen by Shabana Mahmood will paint the future of immigration in Britian?