UK visa | 1900% Surge for Indian student dependents by 2023!

Surge in UK visa grants for international students

According to the UK Office of National Statistics (ONS)’s most recent data, Indian nationals received the second-highest number of dependent visas from the UK in the year that ended in September 2023. Dependents of Indian students studying in the UK were provided 43,445 UK visa grants, a 1,900% rise over the 2,127 visas granted in 2019. Students from Nigeria received the most number of dependent visas. The UK has since modified its stance and will stop providing dependent visas to students in January 2024.

The UK issued 133,237 study visas to Indian nationals in the year that ended in September 2023, accounting for the greatest share at 27%. With 5,804 additional visas granted, this represented a 5% increase over the prior year. Over 450,000 visa applications from different countries were handled by the UK Home Office. Notably, 91% of candidates went on to further their study. China’s visa approval rate was over 99%, while India’s was high at 97%.

UK dependent visa grants

Data that was recently made public indicates that the number of Indians granted dependent visas increased significantly, from 41,318 in 2019 to 43,445 in 2022–2023. Nigerian students obtained 60,506 of the UK dependent visas in the year that ended in September 2023, a stunning increase of 4,000%. 

Even though the new UK Visa regulations won’t go into effect until January 2024, several UK MBA schools claim that they are already having an impact on admissions. In addition, family visa approvals increased significantly by 117%, from 371,911 to 822,395. Remarkably, in the year ending in September 2023, 68% of student-dependent visas were granted to Indians and Nigerians combined.

UK visa grants for the graduate route

In the year ending in September 2023, 1,04,501 graduate route extensions were given to former students; of these, Indians earned the biggest proportion (43%) (excluding dependents). Reviving post-study work, the UK’s graduate route policy was implemented in 2021 and permits qualified students to remain in the country and work or seek employment upon graduation. 

In contrast to over 20% of those who arrived for job and over 80% for family reasons, since 2007 less than 10% of individuals who arrived to study in the UK were granted indefinite leave to stay for ten years, according to the home office report.

UK study visa

China obtained the second-highest number of sponsored study visas, totaling 108,978, as of the end of September 2023, after Indians. This accounted for 22% of all visa grants, however it represented a 7% drop from the year ending in September 2022. Nigerians, on the other hand, received 50,071 sponsored study visas, almost the same number as the year before.

Pakistani citizens were granted the highest number of UK visa grants (33,150), rising by 30%. This was the largest increase of any nationality.

Indians were granted 18,107 skilled worker visas, an 11% decrease from the year prior. However, during the same year, there was a significant 76% increase in the number of Indian nationals who obtained “skilled worker – health and care” visas, totaling 38,866.