Work and study opportunities for foreign nationals in the United Kingdom have narrowed sharply, with new Home Office figures showing a steep decline in visa approvals following tougher immigration rules.
Data released by the Home Office shows that a total of 834,977 visas were granted in the 12 months to June 2025, a 32 percent drop compared with 1.23 million issued in the previous year.
It marks the lowest figure since September 2021, when 802,415 visas were approved.
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Work-related visas recorded the sharpest decline, plunging by nearly half from 545,855 to 286,071. Study visas fell 18 percent to 435,891, while family-related permits dropped 15 percent to 70,961.
Humanitarian and resettlement pathways also contracted as visas issued under Ukraine support schemes dropped 48 percent to 14,216, while grants to British National Overseas (BNO) status holders from Hong Kong halved to 11,804.
A further 9,357 visas were approved under the EU Settlement Scheme, down 34 percent year-on-year.
Smaller categories included 3,640 visas to dependants and 3,037 under other settlement schemes.
The fall in approvals follows legal migration reforms introduced by the previous Conservative government, which restricted international students from bringing dependants and barred overseas care workers from relocating with family members.
Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary said the new Labour government had built on those measures to restore order to Britain’s migration system.
“We inherited a broken immigration and asylum system that the previous government left in chaos.
“Since coming to office, we have strengthened Britain’s visa and immigration controls, cut asylum costs, and sharply increased enforcement and returns, as today’s figures show”, Cooper said.
She highlighted progress on asylum reforms, including a 30 percent rise in the return of failed asylum seekers, an 11 percent cut in asylum-related costs, and an 18 percent reduction in the backlog of pending cases.
Cooper added that the government is preparing to overhaul the asylum appeals process to “end the chaotic use of asylum hotels” inherited from the Conservatives.
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On legal migration, she stressed that the government was determined to reduce inflows further.
“This year we have seen a 48 percent reduction in work visas. Stronger visa controls and higher skill requirements set out in our White Paper will bring those overall numbers down further,” she said.
