According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the UK Home Office, Indian skilled workers, students, and medical professionals have dominated the UK visa landscape over the past year. Indian nationals have not only led in the skilled worker visa route but also in the health and care visa route. In the student visa category, Indians make up the largest group on the post-study visa route, constituting 43 percent of total visa grants.
The skilled worker category saw a notable 9 percent increase, with a substantial rise in the health and care visa grants, soaring by 135 percent to reach 143,990. Nigerian and Zimbabwean nationals in this visa category also experienced a similar increase.
Further, reports indicate 133,237 sponsored study visa grants to Indian students in September 2023, marking a 5 percent increase compared to the previous year and a significant fivefold rise from September 2019.
Indian nationals have maintained a strong presence across various visa categories, holding the highest proportion of tourist visas at 27 percent, followed by Chinese (19%) and Turkish nationals (6%). Despite recent changes in the dependent visa policy, Indian nationals ranked second, surging from 2,127 to 43,445 by the year ending September 2023. The UK government highlighted an overall increase in dependents and the percentage of sponsored study visas since 2019.
The latest migration figures show a slightly lower net migration to the UK, standing at 672,000. Jay Lindop from the ONS Centre for International Migration noted a recent increase compared to the previous year, where net migration hit a record 504,000 between 2021 and 2022. While EU enrolments remain stable, there is a varied scenario for non-EU international students. However, Indian students have shown a substantial increase in recent years.
