Falling study visas a ‘sharp warning’ to UK government

UK universities have experienced their worst January for international student recruitment in at least four years, new visa figures indicate.

After a difficult 2024 for student recruitment as a result of changes to laws around dependants, last year was largely seen as an improvement.

But new data from the Home Office suggests it may have been short-lived. Only 19,800 people applied for main applicant visas for sponsored study in January.

This was 31 per cent down on the same month last year and the lowest level for the month since at least 2022.

December is typically seen as a second peak for applications, after the busiest period around August. 

But with December demand also falling below usual levels, it means there have been only 60,400 applications across the last quarter.

This is 22 per cent less than the same period last year, and well below the 97,800 applications three years ago.

Applications for dependant visas have plummeted since new legislation was introduced – with just 1,400 in January this year.

The former Conservative government introduced a ban on visas for family members apart from those on postgraduate research courses in January 2024.

Taken together, there were a total of 21,200 sponsored study related visas in January – 32 per cent below last year, and half that of January 2023.

The Labour government has announced plans to cut graduate visas from two years to 18 months and proposed a new levy of 6 per cent on international tuition fees since coming into power – moves that many fear will further damage the UK’s ability to attract students. 

Ruth Arnold, director of external affairs at Study Group, said the reduction in numbers was linked to perceptions of UK higher education and employment opportunities for graduates, as well as economic challenges and increasing opportunities elsewhere in the world.

“Traditional study destinations such as the UK cannot take the international students who are so fundamental to our universities, communities and economy for granted,” she told Times Higher Education.

“British universities are global leaders because they are international and rely on talent from around the world to teach and research, as well as to support domestic activities.”

Arnold, who cofounded the #WeAreInternational campaign, said the figures should be a “sharp warning” to policymakers in the wake of the new international education strategy.

“Retaining the UK’s globally competitive position, as the latest international education strategy said it wished to do, will require actions that reflect not only political challenges in Britain, but decisions made by families across the globe.”

Recent figures showed that UK institutions suffered a record fall in international student numbers in 2024-25, with falling numbers of postgraduate students the most concerning.

A number of universities have blamed this fall for their precarious financial positions in their accounts.

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com