UK Universities Concerned as Foreign Student Numbers Fall By 16% Between July & September 2024

Key Takeaways

  • Measures introduced in January 2024 led to a 16 percent drop in international student visa applications from July to September compared to 2023.
  • Sponsored study visa applications fell by 31 percent from January to September 2024.
  • However, applications for skilled worker visas increased by 18 percent from January to September 2024.

The measures introduced by the previous UK government in January 2024 to restrict foreign students have led to a significant drop in the number of international students applying for visas this summer.

According to recent data published by UK Home Office, 16 percent fewer visa applications were made between July and September than in the same period in 2023. This decline directly and severely impacts the financial health of UK universities, which rely heavily on international student fees, VisaGuide.World reports.

At the same time, the decline of other visa categories was also registered, such as for those family members of students with 89 percent.

Since January, new rules have prevented most undergraduate and taught postgraduate students from bringing family members to the UK. This has resulted in a sharp decline in the number of dependants’ applications, with only 13,100 applications between January and July 2024, an 81 percent drop over 2023 data.

These changes were also part of Rishi Sunak’s plan to reduce immigration, as net migration reached a record 764,000 in 2022.

Skilled Worker Visa Applications Rise Despite Student Visa Declines

Despite the policy changes, the number of skilled worker visa applications actually increased. From January to September, applications by main applicants and their dependants rose from 91,600 last year to 108,400 this year, an 18 percent increase.

However, the overall number of sponsored study visa applications from July to September this year was down from the same period in 2023, indicating a mixed impact on immigration.

There were 17,800 applications from dependants of students between January and September 2024, 85 percent fewer than January to September 2023. There were also 15,200 applications between April and September 2024, following the policy changes affecting social care workers and their family members – 83 percent fewer than the same six months in 2023.

UK Home Office

Home Office Awaiting Autumn Peak to Assess Visa Application Changes

August usually sees the highest number of visa applications, and the Home Office has noted that it will need to wait for the autumn peak to assess these changes’ impact fully. From July to September this year, there were just 6,700 applications from dependants, down 89 percent from 59,900 during the same period last year.

Universities are concerned about financial challenges due to frozen domestic tuition fees and fewer international students. There were 368,500 sponsored study visa applications from January to September, a 31 percent decrease from 533,400 last year.

The decline is particularly evident in September, with 72,000 applications from main students compared to 83,500 in 2023, a 14 percent drop. Applications from dependants fell by 90 percent, from 22,500 to just 2,300.

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