Big fall in migrant visa applications after changes
The number of overseas workers, students, and their families applying for UK visas has dropped by a third over the past year. This decline is largely attributed to rule changes introduced by the Conservative government, which have made it more difficult for international students and health and social care workers to bring family members with them to the UK. Provisional figures from the Home Office show a significant decrease from around 141,000 applications in July 2023 to 91,000 in July 2024.
The number of health and care worker visa applications has been particularly affected, with an 80% drop to just 2,900. The Home Office has justified these changes by stating that the UK needs to focus on training its domestic workforce to address skills shortages. A spokesperson emphasized that while immigration has benefits, it must be controlled and fair.
However, these changes have raised concerns within the care sector and higher education. Nadra Ahmed, co-chairman of the National Care Association, noted that some international care workers are leaving the UK or moving to countries with less restrictive immigration policies. She warned that it could take years to build up a sufficient domestic workforce, and vacancies in the care sector might reach unsustainable levels.
The decline in international student visa applications is also worrying for universities, which are already under financial pressure. The Migration Observatory suggests that the drop in student visas might also be influenced by factors specific to certain countries, such as the Nigerian currency crisis.
The government's new visa policies, including raising the minimum salary requirement for skilled workers and banning most overseas students from bringing dependents, are part of broader efforts to reduce immigration levels, which had reached record highs in recent years. Although net migration fell by 10% last year, it is too early to determine whether this marks the beginning of a sustained downward trend.
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