Indian Skilled Workers, Medics, Students Dominate UK Visa Tally
Indian skilled workers, medical professionals, and students continue to hold a dominant position in the UK’s visa statistics, as per the latest official immigration data released by the UK Home Office. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data reveals that Indian nationals not only topped the Skilled Worker visa route but also the Health and Care Visa route. Additionally, Indian nationals represented the largest group of students granted leave to remain on the post-study Graduate visa route, accounting for 43% of grants.
The data shows that the number of ‘Skilled Worker – Health and Care’ visa grants more than doubled, rising by 135% to reach 143,990. Indian nationals witnessed the largest increases on this visa, followed by Nigerian and Zimbabwean nationals. However, the Skilled Worker route itself experienced a decline of 11% with 18,107 visas issued in the year ending September 2023.
Furthermore, the analysis reveals that the number of sponsored study visa grants to Indian nationals rose by 5% compared to the previous year, reaching 133,237. This number is nearly five times higher than the figure recorded in the year ending September 2019, with Indian nationals accounting for 27% of all sponsored study grants to main applicants.
Indian nationals also continued to represent the highest proportion of tourist ‘Visitor’ visas granted, making up 27% of the total, followed by Chinese and Turkish nationals. However, Indian nationals are no longer the topmost country in the dependant family members category, following a crackdown on overseas students bringing in family members to the UK. Nigerian nationals now hold the highest number of dependants, while Indian nationals recorded the second-highest number.
The latest figures also shed light on the return of illegal migrants to the UK, with a majority of voluntary returns recorded as mainly Albanian, Indian, and Chinese nationals. The UK government, led by the Conservative Party, aims to reduce overall migration statistics, and the ONS data demonstrates a slight drop in figures.
According to the latest ONS migration figures, net migration to the UK stood at 672,000 for the 12 months until June 2023, compared to 745,000 for the same period last year. The top five nationalities outside the European Union (EU) for immigration flows into the UK were Indian, Nigerian, Chinese, Pakistani, and Ukrainian.
While the latest numbers show a slight decrease compared to the previous year, it is uncertain whether this indicates a new downward trend. Jay Lindop of the ONS Centre for International Migration highlighted that migration patterns have been shifting significantly since the pandemic. More students are arriving, staying for longer durations, and more dependants of people with work and study visas are also arriving. Non-EU arrivals now contribute to driving immigration.
In summary, Indian skilled workers, medical professionals, and students continue to dominate the UK’s visa statistics, with significant numbers being granted visas in various categories. While migration figures have seen a slight drop, the overall trend remains uncertain due to changing patterns and behaviors influenced by the pandemic.
