The UK government, which in recent years has been dedicated to tackling its immigration issues, has issued a lower number of visas to third-country nationals in 2024.
According to data from the Home Office, the number of work-related visas issued in 2024 was 210,098. Compared to 2023 numbers, the figure is down by 37 percent, but it is increased by half the number compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, VisaGuide.World reports.
A year-on-year decrease in the number of study visas was also evident during this period, while the number of family-related visas has been increasing for some time now.
53% More Work Visas Granted to Third Country Nationals in 2024 Than 2019
Data from 2024 reveals that the number of work visas issued has been high in the last four years. However, between 2009 and 2020, the UK authorities issued about 140,000 work visas every year.
The trend of visa issuance for work purposes experienced a boom during the pandemic, which could be tied to the labour shortage for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, these numbers dropped as it was no longer emergent to bring workers from abroad as occurred during the pandemic.
There were 27,174 ‘Health and Care Worker’ visas granted to main applicants in 2024, representing an 81 percent decrease compared to the 2023 levels.
Study Visa Issuance Hit a High Record in 2023
The study visa issuance has also been having fluctuations, as the highest number of study visas granted in 2023 reached 498,068. This number dropped to 393,125, which is a 14 percent decrease compared to the previous year.
What could have impacted the decrease in study visas is a new measure that allows only research-based post-graduate students to bring their families to the UK, compared to previous rules that were less stringent. As the Home Office points out in a recent report, policy changes are one of a number of factors that may have impacted visa application volumes.
Compared to pre-pandemic levels, study visa issuance is 46 percent higher than in 2019. The usual number of study visas granted before the pandemic was around 200,000 per year.
Visas for Family Reunification Up for the 4th Consecutive Year
Family-related visas are one of the most popular visas for third-country nationals and the fact that the number of such visas kept going up in the last four years proves that more people are applying for family visas.
In 2024, there were 91,899 family-related visa applications, a 16 percent increase compared with 2023. This year-on-year increase continues an upward trend over the past four years.
Policies changes are the main factor that impacts the application rates for visas, especially for family visas. After the UK government announced a new minimum income requirement, the number of applications for family visas soared.
The announcement for tighter requirements was introduced in December of 2023 and was set to become effective in April 2024, which prompted a high volume of applications recorded between January and March.