UK work visa numbers cut sharply in 2025
#UK work visas #Immigration policies #Care worker visas #Skilled workers #Asylum claims #Post-Brexit immigration #Salary requirements
📌 Key Takeaways
- UK work visa grants fell by 20% to 168,000 in 2025
- Closure of care worker visa route contributed significantly to the decline
- Skilled worker visas decreased by 30% due to higher salary requirements
- University study visas remained stable at 407,000 after previous sharp drop
📖 Full Retelling
UK Home Office figures released on Thursday, February 26, 2026, revealed a significant 20% drop in work-related visa grants to 168,000 in the year to December 2025, reflecting the impact of the government's tougher immigration policies under Editor Roula Khalaf's Financial Times coverage. The decline represents a substantial reduction from the previous year and is half the level observed in 2023, when post-Brexit immigration surge peaked. The most significant factor in this decrease was the closure of a specific visa route for care workers. Additionally, visas granted to skilled workers, who now face higher salary requirements, fell by a third compared to 2024 levels, indicating a deliberate tightening of the UK's immigration system. While work visas decreased substantially, the number of visas granted for study at UK universities remained relatively stable at 407,000, following a significant drop of more than a third from 2023 levels. In contrast to the work visa reduction, asylum claims decreased by only 4% to 101,000 in the year to December 2025, with half of claimants arriving via small boats routes.
🏷️ Themes
Immigration Policy, Labor Market, International Education
📚 Related People & Topics
Skilled worker
Any worker who has special skill, training, knowledge
A skilled worker is any worker who has special skill, training, or knowledge which they can then apply to their work. A skilled worker may have learned their skills through work experience, on-the-job training, an apprenticeship program or formal education. These skills often lead to better outcomes...
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UK work visa numbers cut sharply in 2025 on x (opens in a new window) UK work visa numbers cut sharply in 2025 on facebook (opens in a new window) UK work visa numbers cut sharply in 2025 on linkedin (opens in a new window) UK work visa numbers cut sharply in 2025 on whatsapp (opens in a new window) Save UK work visa numbers cut sharply in 2025 on x (opens in a new window) UK work visa numbers cut sharply in 2025 on facebook (opens in a new window) UK work visa numbers cut sharply in 2025 on linkedin (opens in a new window) UK work visa numbers cut sharply in 2025 on whatsapp (opens in a new window) Save Delphine Strauss Published February 26 2026 Jump to comments section Print this page Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. UK grants of work visas fell sharply in 2025 in a stark indication of the impact of tougher immigration policies, but there was little change in the number claiming asylum, Home Office figures showed on Thursday. The number of work-related visas granted fell to 168,000 in the year to December, down by a fifth from the previous year and half the level seen in 2023, when the post-Brexit surge in immigration was at its peak. The drop largely reflected the closure of a visa route for care workers but grants to skilled workers, who must now meet higher salary requirements, also fell by a third from 2024. The number of visas granted for study at UK universities was little changed from 2024, at 407,000, following a drop of more than a third from 2023. Claims for asylum fell by 4 per cent from the year to December 2024 to 101,000, with half of claimants arriving on small boats. Most of the remainder were already in the UK on other types of visa. This is a developing story
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