By D. W .G. Kalani Tharanga, JadeTimes News
Impact of New Immigration Policies on Visa Applications
The number of overseas workers, students, and their families applying for visas to enter the UK has seen a significant decrease, dropping by a third over the past year. This decline follows the introduction of strict immigration policies by the Conservative government, which included a ban on most international students and health and social care workers bringing their families to the UK. According to provisional data from the Home Office, visa applications from migrants and their dependents fell from approximately 141,000 in July 2023 to just 91,000 in July 2024.
The most pronounced decline was observed in the health and care worker sector, where visa applications plummeted by 80%, with only 2,900 applications last month. The Home Office has defended these changes, emphasizing the need to develop a domestic workforce to address skill shortages. A spokesperson stated that while immigration brings many benefits to the UK, it must be managed fairly and effectively to ensure sustainable levels of migration.
Consequences for the Care Sector and Higher Education
The impact of these new immigration policies is particularly acute in the care sector, where there are growing concerns about workforce shortages. Nadra Ahmed, executive co chairman of the National Care Association, expressed concern that the sector is beginning to lose staff as workers return to their home countries or seek employment in regions with more welcoming immigration policies. She noted that building a domestic workforce would take years and warned that the current vacancies could reach unsustainable levels, exacerbating the existing crisis in care services.
Universities are also feeling the strain, as the reduction in international students applying for visas threatens to compound the financial pressures they are already facing. The drop in student visa applications follows the government's decision to ban most overseas students from bringing dependents, a policy introduced by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as part of a broader effort to reduce immigration. In addition, the minimum salary threshold for skilled overseas workers was raised from £26,200 to £38,700, making it more difficult for international talent to qualify for visas.
While the Office for National Statistics reported a 10% drop in net migration in 2023, down from a record high of 764,000 in 2022, it remains uncertain whether this trend will continue. The Migration Observatory has pointed out that the Home Office's data does not yet show a clear impact from the higher salary thresholds. As the government continues to refine its immigration policies, the long-term effects on both the care sector and higher education are likely to become increasingly evident.
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