The number of migrants applying for key visa routes to the United Kingdom has plummeted by over a third in the past year, official figures reveal.
Applications across major visa categories totalled 772,200 in the year ending March 2025 – a significant drop of 37% from nearly 1.24 million in the previous 12-month period to March 2024. The figures, released by the Home Office on Thursday, highlight a dramatic shift in the UK’s migration landscape.
This sharp decline follows a raft of immigration reforms brought in by the previous Conservative government at the start of 2024, aimed at curbing historically high levels of legal migration. Among the measures were a ban on overseas care workers and students bringing dependants, and a substantial hike in the salary threshold for skilled worker visas to £38,700.
The main visa categories affected include skilled worker, health and care worker, sponsored study, family, seasonal worker, and the youth mobility scheme. However, the most substantial decline was seen among health and care workers and their families, whose applications fell a staggering 78% – from 359,300 to just 80,700 year-on-year.
There was also an 83% drop in the number of family members applying to accompany those on sponsored study visas. While the number of primary student applicants only declined by 11%, the crackdown on dependants – particularly those outside postgraduate research or government-funded scholarships – has had a noticeable impact.
Commenting on the trend, Dr Ben Brindle of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford said:
“The tightening of immigration rules under the previous government has led to a sharp decline in visa applications over the past year. This was driven primarily by a fall in applications from health and care workers and students’ family members – most of whom now cannot come to the UK.”
He also noted that even main applicants for health and care roles have dropped, potentially due to both a reduced number of vacancies and increased government scrutiny of worker exploitation in the sector.
Meanwhile, the union representing care workers warned of the damaging effects of these changes on an already struggling industry. Gavin Edwards, head of social care at Unison, said:
“Workers who come here from overseas are propping up the social care sector, which still faces a huge recruitment crisis. Reforms are needed urgently so the Government has control over visa sponsorship. This would stop unscrupulous employers from threatening staff with dismissal or deportation.”
New rules to address care worker recruitment and reduce dependency on overseas staff came into force on Wednesday. The Government says the measures are also aimed at tackling abuse and exploitation in the sector.
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While applications for jobs outside of health and care have declined less steeply, the salary hike for skilled workers has likely influenced employers’ decisions. Dr Brindle explained:
“It appears that many employers are simply paying workers more to meet the new threshold. However, the decrease may also reflect employers choosing to leave roles unfilled or exploring alternative solutions.”
Skilled worker visa applications by main applicants fell by 16%, while applications for their dependants dropped by 13%.
Dr Brindle added a broader perspective:
“It’s important to remember, however, that the fall in applications was possible because the number of people coming to the UK since Brexit has been so high. Despite these declines, applications from non-EU citizens remain well above pre-Brexit levels. As of mid-2024, overall net migration was also still much higher than it had been pre-Brexit.”
As the UK navigates post-Brexit immigration control alongside labour shortages in key sectors, the balance between reducing numbers and maintaining essential services remains a pressing challenge for policymakers.
