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The UK Home Office has released the data on the number of people who entered the country for work, study, and family reasons. Data shows the monthly number 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 Shortage Occupation List.
Monthly applications subsequently fell to 2,400 in March 2024 and have remained broadly stable since. The falls seen since the latter part of 2023 are due to more scrutiny applied by the Home Office to employers in the health and social care sector, and compliance activity taken against employers of migrant workers, as well as the policy measures affecting care workers introduced in Spring 2024. There were 1,700 applications in February 2025.
Skilled Worker visa
In contrast, the monthly number of Skilled Worker visa applications from main applicants was broadly stable between January 2022 and March 2024 at around 6,000 applications per month. Applications temporarily increased to 10,100 in April 2024, before returning to average levels in the following month ,and have gradually decreased since. There were 3,500 applications in February 2025.
Applications for dependants on the Skilled Worker route have largely followed the trend for main applicants. There were 3,700 applications in February 2025.
Temporary work routes
The main temporary work routes to the UK (the Youth Mobility Scheme and Seasonal Worker route) follow more seasonal patterns, typically peaking in Spring of each year. Individuals on these routes are ineligible to bring dependants.
There were 23,000 applications for Youth Mobility Scheme visas in the year ending February 2025, an 8% decrease compared to the year ending February 2024. Numbers in the last couple of years also include the addition of the India Young Professionals Scheme, which held its first ballot in February 2023. There is a maximum total allocation of places available for eligible nationals.
Seasonal Worker visas are also subject to an annual quota, which means that the number of applications has been broadly stable at 30,000 to 37,000 over the last few years. There were 36,800 applications for Seasonal Worker visas in the year ending February 2025, a 7% increase compared to the year ending February 2024.
Study visas
Sponsored study visas follow strong seasonal patterns, peaking in August (with a second smaller peak in December) of each year. Applications from Sponsored study visa main applicants in the year ending February 2025 (413,900) were 12% lower than the year ending February 2024.
There were 20,800 applications from dependants of students in the year ending February 2025, 86% fewer than the year ending December 2023. This followed the rule changes that came into effect in January 2024, which prevent students from bringing dependants, apart from those studying postgraduate research courses or courses with government-funded scholarships.
Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/business/investing-abroad-uk-study-visa-applications-drop-12-in-the-year-ending-february-2025-3804392/
