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Migration numbers fall sharply as UK government measures take effect
The data showed a staggering 79 percent drop in student dependent applications from January to April 2024 compared to the same period last year.
Home Secretary James Cleverly / Image- gov.uk
Visa applications across key routes have decreased by 25 percent in the first four months of 2024, according to new data released today by the United Kingdom Home Office.
The significant reduction comes as a result of the government’s aggressive measures to curb unsustainable migration.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said, "The plan to deliver the largest ever cut to legal migration in our country’s history is working. This monthly data is the most up-to-date picture of visa levels, showing that on current trajectories legal migration continues to fall across key routes."
One of the most impactful changes has been the tightening of student visa regulations, implemented in January. The new rules barred post graduate students from bringing their dependents and family members to the country.
The data showed a staggering 79 percent drop in student dependent applications from January to April 2024 compared to the same period last year.
Additionally, the government has stopped students from switching their visas before completing their courses, aiming to close a loophole that allowed individuals to use student visas as a means to gain employment in the UK.
Consequently, there were over 30,000 fewer student visa applications in the first four months of 2024 than in the corresponding period in 2023.
Other key measures include a 48 percent increase in the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas, now set at US$49,327 (£38,700). The minimum income requirement for family visas will be raised to match the Skilled Worker visa threshold, currently US$49,327 (£38,700) by early 2025.
Another significant change is the abolishment of the shortage occupation list, replaced by a new immigration salary list, ensuring that employers cannot pay migrants less than UK workers in similar roles.
Additionally, new restrictions prevent care workers from bringing dependents and mandate that care providers in England register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to combat worker exploitation and abuse.
These comprehensive measures aim to reduce the number of migrants entering the UK by approximately 300,000 people per year. "We will continue to keep these measures under close review and if needed, we will not hesitate to go further," Cleverly asserted.
The government’s wider strategy to manage both legal and illegal migration includes efforts to curb small boat crossings, which have decreased by around a third over the past year. In collaboration with international partners, the UK is intensifying efforts to dismantle criminal gangs involved in human trafficking.
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