Recent immigration figures from the United Kingdom show a decline in immigration numbers. According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics, 1.2 million people had come to the UK by June 2024. Of these, one million (86 per cent) were non-EU citizens, 10 per cent EU citizens and 5 per cent. British.
In June 2023, the UK granted 1,42,848 student visas to Indian nationals, an increase of 54 per cent compared to 2022, with Indians accounting for a third of all sponsored study grants – the highest of all nationalities. Statistics reveal that Indian students prefer one-year master’s programs, which previously allowed them to bring family members. However, in January 2024, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak banned visa-to-work transitions for international students to bring dependents unless they are enrolled in postgraduate research programs and complete their studies. These changes took effect immediately.
As a result of these changes, the number of international students decreased in the following months. Between October 2023 and September 2024, 392,969 student visas were issued, a 19 percent drop in one year, while dependent visas fell 69 percent to 46,961. Among non-EU nationals, India led the way with 2.40 million migrants, followed by Nigerians (1.20 million), Pakistanis (1.01 million), Chinese (78,000), and Zimbabweans (36,000).
| the country | Student visa |
| Nigerians | 1.20 lakhs |
| Pakistani | 1.01 lakh |
| Chinese | 78,000 |
| Zimbabwe | 36000 |
According to the UK Office for National Statistics, the main reasons for non-EU migration include work (417,000), study (375,000), asylum (84,000), family (76,000), and humanitarian purposes (67,000).
A similar trend was observed in other datasets. Enroly, a service that assists international students with university admissions, observed in March that the key metric of January 2024 intakes fell by nearly a third year-on-year on its platform. Overall deposit payments decreased by 34.95 percent, CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Study) issuance by 32.12 percent and visa issuance by 33.11 percent. In November 2023, compared to January 2023, overall deposit payments decreased by 52 percent, CAS issuance by 64 percent and visa issuance by 71 percent.
Figures from the University and College Admissions Service for 2023 showed that 71,575 people of all ages were accepted onto UK courses in 2023 – 3 per cent less than the previous year. Also, the CAS issuance percentage for Indian candidates decreased by 32.55 percent.
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