UK Government’s new immigration policy has led to a significant decline in visa applications, with a 35.46% drop in the past year.
Gatekeepers News reports that the changes, introduced in January 2024, restricted international students from bringing dependents, except in certain circumstances.
“We’re training a homegrown workforce to address the shortage of skilled workers,” a government spokesperson said.
However, Nadra Ahmed, executive co-chairman of the National Care Association, noted that some workers have relocated to countries with less restrictive immigration policies.
“The government’s approach is short-sighted and will exacerbate the care sector’s workforce crisis,” Ahmed said.
The government maintains that immigration must be controlled, despite its benefits to the UK. The new policy has resulted in:
– A 16% decrease in study visa applications
– An 81% decrease in dependent applications
– An 80% decrease in health and care worker visa applications
The government’s statistics show a significant impact on visa applications since the policy change.
