LONDON – Multiple measures introduced by the government of Rishi Sunak in recent months related to immigration are now ‘bearing fruit’ as the number of applicants has nosedived.
The government of the United Kingdom published official statistics on Wednesday, implying that the number of visa applicants for different routes is on a drastic decline.
As per the official statistics, visa applications across key routes have gone down by a quarter in the first 4 months of 2024.
As far as international students are concerned, the recent measures have prevented most international students starting courses this year from bringing family members with 79% fewer student-dependent applications in the first 4 months of 2024.
This is also due to the reason that international students can no longer switch their visas before completing their courses, preventing people from using the route as a backdoor to work in the UK.
The government claims that it is also clamping down on institutions that undermine the UK’s reputation by selling immigration, not education.
The statistics imply that there were more than 30,000 fewer student visa applications made between January to April 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
The decline in the number of applicants can also be seen for Care Worker Visas as data shows that in the first full month, the restrictions on care worker dependants were in place, there was a 58% fall in Health and Care dependant application numbers; the numbers went from 15,100 in April 2023 to merely 6,400 in April 2024.
‘The government has been clear that the unprecedented rise in care worker dependant visa numbers had been both disproportionate and unsustainable. Together with efforts to crack down on abuse, through our changes requiring firms sponsoring migrant care workers in England to be CQC registered, we are determined to see these numbers continue to fall,’ said an official press release issued by the government.
The numbers come as a government department is set to publish net migration stats for the year ending December 2023 though these figures would not take into account the major package measures announced in December which are now showing results.
Commenting on the figures, Home Secretary James Cleverly said the government would continue to keep these measures under close review and if needed, they would not hesitate to go further.
The government has introduced multiple measures aimed at curing legal immigration including increasing the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas by 48% to £38,700, restricting care workers from bringing dependants with them, and requiring care providers acting as sponsors in England to register with the industry regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), to crack down on worker exploitation and abuse within the sector.
Moreover, the government has also abolished the shortage occupation list and has replaced it with a new immigration salary list, with employers no longer able to pay migrants less than UK workers in shortage occupations
The government has also raised the minimum income requirement for the family visa to reach the level of the Skilled Worker visa, currently £38,700 by early 2025.
