Number of applications for work or study in the UK falls by more than a third

The number of foreign workers and students applying to come to the UK has fallen after the previous government introduced restrictions on visas.

The number of workers and their family members applying for skilled worker, health and study visas fell by more than a third to 91,300 in July compared to last year.

The drop is particularly large in monthly applications for health and care visas, which fell 82% to 2,900 in July. In contrast, applications to study in the UK fell 15% to 69,500.

Official figures indicate that overall immigration figures are likely to fall significantly.

Net migration reached a record high of 764,000 in 2022, with inflows remaining higher than the historical average at 685,000 last year.

Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government has banned students and people on health or care visas from bringing family members to the UK. Labour has no plans to change this policy.

The Ministry of the Interior first figures for July found that there was a 15% drop in applications for sponsored student visas last month, continuing a downward trend since the start of the year

That means policies introduced by the previous government could help Prime Minister Keir Starmer deliver on his pledge to reduce “skyrocketing” levels of net migration.

According to an estimate by the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory, net migration will continue to fall significantly over the next five years, to around 350,000 in 2030. This is partly because more people are leaving Britain, the number of foreign students coming to the UK is falling and there are fewer vacancies in the private sector.

The think tank has warned that the fall in student numbers could lead to significant trade-offs as universities struggle to cope with falling income and the health and social care sector faces potential recruitment problems.

The total number of people applying to come to the UK as a skilled worker, care worker or to study has fallen from 143,000 in July last year to 91,300 in July this year – a fall of 36%.

James Cleverly, the then Home Secretary, announced a ban on carers bringing partners and children to the UK, which came into effect in March. The Conservative government also tightened rules around which companies could sponsor visas, amid concerns the system was being abused.

Labour has announced plans for legislation to Improve the payment and conditions in the social care sector.

In January, the Conservatives banned international students from bringing family members unless they were on a postgraduate research course.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior said the Times: “We have set out a clear plan to reduce the historically high levels of legal migration by tackling the root causes behind high international recruitment.

“By linking immigration, the labour market and skills systems, we ensure that we train our own workforce and address skills shortages. Immigration brings many benefits to the UK, but it must be controlled and delivered through a fair system.”