UK Study Visa issuance records dip in 2023

LONDON – The UK government visibly discouraged the issuance of Student Visas in 2023 as confirmed by the official data released by the Home Office.

Statistics imply that a total of 4,57,673 study visas were issued to main applicants, a decrease of 5.5 percent when compared with the previous year.

The Home Office said that the 2023 total was the second highest on record for a calendar year and was 70 percent more than the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

Interestingly, the top slot in terms of receiving Study Visas was clinched by India as a total of 1,20,110 student visas were awarded to Indian main applicants.

China secured the second position as the country was awarded around 109,564 study permits, reflecting a growth of approximately 6 percent compared to the preceding year.

The third slot was secured by Nigeria though it faced a setback with a drop of around 28 percent and received 42,167 visas in 2023. Behind Nigeria came Pakistan (31,165) and the USA (14,633), both secured more visas than the previous year.

In 2023, a total of 601,000 sponsored study visas were issued, which is 3 percent lower than the previous year’s peak of 619,000.

The Rishi Sunak government has discouraged the issuance of Study Visas through multiple measures after the immigration numbers were recorded at an all-time high. In one of such measures, the government also banned overseas students from bringing family members with them to Britain unless they are on postgraduate research courses.

In his earlier comments, the UK prime minister emphasized the importance of immigration while underscoring the need to put an end to system abuse and achieve sustainable levels. The government also readjusted the salary threshold and increased minimum salary requirement for Skilled Worker visas.

“This week we’ve taken the tough decisions to secure our borders. Immigration is too high. Illegal migration must end,” Sunak wrote on X last year.