UK Visa Applications Fall 37% After 2024 Rule Changes

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UK visa applications have plunged 37% to 772,200 in the year to March 2025, revealing the stark impact of tougher immigration rules introduced in 2024.

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Health and care worker applications crashed 78%, with monthly numbers dropping from a peak of 18,300 in August 2023 to just 1,700 in March 2025.

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The ban on overseas care workers bringing family members has slashed dependant applications, which once hit 23,300 monthly but fell to a mere 3,900.

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Student visa dependants faced an 83% collapse after January 2024 rules barred most international students from bringing families, except for those in postgraduate research.

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Skilled Worker applications dropped 16% as the salary threshold jumped to £38,700, forcing employers to either pay more, find alternative hiring solutions, or leave positions unfilled.

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Family visa applications rode a roller-coaster, spiking before new income requirements took effect, then crashing from 12,700 in April 2024 to 6,900 in May 2024.

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Despite these sharp declines, Dr. Ben Brindle of Oxford's Migration Observatory notes that "applications from non-EU citizens remain well above pre-Brexit levels.

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The UK's seasonal worker programs saw minimal impact, with Youth Mobility applications down 9% and Seasonal Worker applications falling just 1%, maintaining their typical spring increases.

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As visa fees increased further on April 9, 2025, Britain's immigration landscape continues to transform in the global competition for talent.

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