UK Work Visas Plunge by 48% as Total Foreign Entry Drops Sharply, Home Office Data Reveals.
New UK Home Office data reveals a dramatic 32% drop in visas issued to foreign nationals, with work visas nearly halving. Discover the reasons behind the plunge, including new restrictions on care workers and student dependants.
LONDON, UK – The number of visas granted to foreign nationals to work, study, and live in the United Kingdom has plunged dramatically over the last year, driven by a near-halving of work-related visas. New official data from the UK Home Office shows the sharpest decline in legal migration in years, reflecting a significant tightening of the country’s immigration policies.
According to the report, a total of 834,977 entry visas were issued in the year ending June 2025. This represents a steep 32% decrease from the 1.23 million visas granted in the previous 12-month period and marks the lowest annual figure since September 2021.
The data points to a clear and substantial reduction in the number of people coming to the UK, a development the current government is claiming as a policy success.
The Numbers in Detail: A Sharp Decline Across the Board
While the overall numbers are down, the most significant drops were seen in the work visa category, particularly for health and care workers and their families, as well as for the dependants of international students.
Work Visas See the Biggest Fall
The sharpest decline was in work-related visas, which fell by a staggering 48%, from 545,855 in the year to June 2024 down to 286,071 in the year to June 2025. Other major visa categories also saw significant reductions:
Study Visas: Dropped by 18%, from 530,312 to 435,891.
Family Visas: Fell by 15%, from 83,912 to 70,961.
Steep Drop in Health and Student Dependant Visas
The data reveals the dramatic impact of specific policy changes aimed at reducing the number of family members accompanying visa holders.
Health and Care Worker Visas (including dependants): Plummeted by a massive 77%, from 267,348 down to just 61,901.
Student Dependant Visas: Recorded the steepest percentage fall of all, dropping by 81% from 94,204 to 17,804.
Humanitarian routes also saw a decline, with visas issued under the Ukraine schemes and to British National Overseas (BNO) status holders from Hong Kong both falling by nearly 50%.
Why Are the Numbers Falling? The Impact of New Policies
The dramatic reduction in visa numbers is a direct consequence of a series of restrictive immigration policies introduced in early 2024 by the previous Conservative government. The two key changes that have had the most significant impact were:
A ban on overseas care workers bringing their dependants (spouses and children) to the UK.
New restrictions preventing most international students from bringing family members with them.
These policies were specifically designed to cut legal migration figures, which had reached record highs in the post-pandemic period.
A Political Issue: Government Claims Credit for the Drop
The current Labour government’s Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, was quick to claim the falling numbers as a victory for her party’s approach.
“The Government was ‘bringing legal migration back under control,’” she said, adding that “stronger visa controls and higher skill requirements introduced through our White Paper are expected to bring those overall numbers down further.”
Expert Analysis: More Declines Expected
Experts agree that the fall is policy-driven but note that it comes after a period of unprecedented highs.
Dr. Ben Brindle, a researcher at the highly respected Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, said that the steep decline was possible because migration had previously reached record levels. He anticipates that the numbers may continue to fall, albeit at a slower rate.
“We may see further declines in the coming months – though probably smaller ones – as the data catches up with more recent restrictions,” he commented.
In conclusion, the latest Home Office figures paint a clear picture of a UK immigration system in transition. The sharp, policy-driven drop in visa numbers signals a deliberate move towards a more restrictive immigration model, a trend that is set to continue and will have significant implications for the UK’s economy, labour market, and higher education sector.
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