The United Kingdom has witnessed a dramatic 35 per cent drop in visa applications over the past year, following the introduction of stricter immigration policies aimed at reducing the country’s intake of foreign nationals. Between January and July 2024, study visa applications dropped by 16 per cent compared to the same period in 2023. More significantly, there was an 81 per cent decline in visa applications from the dependants of students, reflecting the sharp effect of the new rules. This followed a surge in applications aftercare workers were added to the skilled worker visa category in 2022. “Monthly numbers of Health and Care Worker visa applications from main applicants increased from 4,100 to 18,300 between February 2022 and August 2023, following the addition of care workers to the skilled worker visa.

Source: Punch August 10, 2024 10:17 UTC