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Prime ministers

UK Proposes Visa Rule Changes to Control Migration

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Labour party government in the UK has proposed a range of visa rule changes aimed at reducing net migration and increasing control over the country's borders. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has emphasized the need for tighter visa rules, warning that failure to do so would risk turning the UK into an "island of strangers." The proposed changes include increasing the requirement for a skilled worker visa from A-level to degree level, removing social care visas, and reducing the term of a graduate visa from two years to 18 months.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UK proposes to raise the requirement for a skilled worker visa from A-level to degree level, in an effort to control the number of work visas issued.
  • The number of work visas issued by the UK has nearly doubled since 2019, with a significant proportion of lower-skilled workers entering the country.
  • Applicants from abroad will no longer be given social care visas, which were introduced in 2022 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The term of a graduate visa will be reduced from two years to 18 months, as the government seeks to reduce the number of students staying in the UK after completing their studies.
  • The UK will introduce language requirements for dependent visa applicants, in an effort to promote social integration.
  • The minimum period to qualify for "settlement" (a prerequisite for citizenship) in the UK will be increased to 10 years from the existing five years.
  • The government's plan is aimed at controlling migration into the UK, which has increased significantly under the previous government, and has placed additional demand on public services and housing.
  • The number of Indian students going to the UK surged from 10,418 in 2015 to 1.39 lakh in 2022, making India the second-largest source country for UK student visas in 2024.
  • The total number of study visas issued by the UK to students of all nationalities hit a peak of 4.89 lakh in 2022, but dropped to 3.97 lakh in 2024.
  • Total work visas issued to Indians saw a two-fold increase from 35,503 in 2015 to 73,778 in 2023, but dropped to 34,954 in 2024.

Statistics:

  • The number of work visas issued by the UK has nearly doubled since 2019, reaching a peak of 336,007 in 2023.
  • The number of study visas issued by the UK to Indian students surged from 10,418 in 2015 to 1.39 lakh in 2022, making India the second-largest source country for UK student visas in 2024.
  • The total number of study visas issued by the UK to students of all nationalities hit a peak of 4.89 lakh in 2022, but dropped to 3.97 lakh in 2024.
  • Total work visas issued to Indians saw a two-fold increase from 35,503 in 2015 to 73,778 in 2023, but dropped to 34,954 in 2024.

Sources:

  • IE Online Media Services Pvt. Ltd.
  • UK Home Office

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