UK Work Visa Numbers Fall Sharply in 2026
New data from the Home Office has revealed that 235,000 work visas (including dependants) were awarded in the year to June 2026, an 18% reduction on the previous year and a 62% reduction on the year ending December 2023, when the number of work visas issued peaked.
The new numbers include 120,000 work visas granted in the most recent year, a 76% down from the peak in the year-ending December 2023. This fall was driven by falling numbers of Health and Care Worker (mostly care workers) and Skilled Worker visas, down 90% and 48% respectively over this period.
The data reflect the stricter limitations imposed on immigration after 2023, which reversed the impact of Boris Johnson’s administration deregulation of the system in the wake of Brexit and the cessation of free movement from the continent.
The number of extensions granted on work routes remained relatively stable in the latest year at 731,000, with increases since 2021 driven by the high number of entry clearance grants in 2022 and 2023, with many of these coming to an end and needing to be extended to remain in the UK.
Sponsored Study Visas in the UK
There were 383,000 sponsored study visa approvals in the year to June 2026, down 11% on the previous year and down 41% on the peak in the year to June 2023. The Home Office claimed the reduction was due to fewer main applicants (down 12% on the previous year to 366,000) although dependants remained steady in the latest year. The two largest nationalities were China (86,000) and India (83,000) which together represented for 46% of supported study visas given to major applicants.
Salary caps
The decline in visa applications reflects tighter measures adopted since late 2023 when Rishi Sunak’s government boosted wage limits for various visas and limited the number of dependents applicants could bring with them. Since then, Conservative and Labour governments have tried to curb migration and tighten work permits. The most current modifications started to be put into action from 22 July 2025 when the Keir Starmer government released the Restoring Control over the Immigration System white paper.
In the year ending June 2026 there were almost 200,000 settlement grants, an increase of 24% on the year ending June 2025, led by increases in grants to people formerly on work routes and those with leave granted under the British National (Overseas) route who went on to be given settlement.
Status: settled
There were 336,000 grants of settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme June 2026, with volumes essentially unchanged over the last three years. Most grants continued to be granted to those who had previously had pre-settled status.
There were also 246,000 awards of British citizenship awarded in the year to June 2026 – 4% lower than the year to June 2025. The Home Office claimed yearly grant volumes remained high compared to historic volumes.
The increase in citizenship applications was fuelled by rising share of non-EU migrants since Brexit, the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory reported.
And as for asylum seekers – a more common topic of political controversy in the UK than work-based immigration – the number of small boat entries was 23% lower than the previous year. There were over 86,000 asylum applications – down 21% on the year.
Shortages of labour
The drop in numbers was not due to a lack of demand from employers, said Chetal Patel, head of immigration at Bates Wells. “While the government has made clear that it wants to reduce lower-skilled migration and prioritise highly skilled people who can support growth and the ambitions set out in the Industrial Strategy, these figures highlight the tension between reducing migration and addressing labour shortages. There are still several industries facing recruitment issues, including health and social care, where businesses have traditionally looked overseas to fill labour vacancies.
“Sponsorship was becoming more and more corporate,” Patel said. She said: “The cost of sponsoring workers has increased dramatically in recent years, compliance obligations have become more onerous and organisations are facing greater scrutiny from the Home Office. “Intelligence sharing across government departments, including HMRC and the Home Office, is better now, so businesses are placing a greater focus on sponsor compliance and risk management.”
The reforms were making the UK less desirable in the eyes of overseas workers themselves, she claimed. “From the migrant perspective, the UK is being perceived by some as a less attractive destination than it was before. Restrictions on bringing dependants, increased immigration expenses and uncertainty about future revisions to settlement have influenced the decision-making of future applicants.
“This increases the risk of a long-term squeeze on access to international talent which could limit productivity, slow business growth and stifle innovation at a time when the UK is trying to drive economic growth and improve its international competitiveness.
“The salary thresholds that would work in London often don’t work for the rest of the UK,” said Ian Robinson, immigration partner at Vialto. He said: “Employers need certainty that the immigration system supports long-term workforce planning, incentivises investment in graduate talent and provides clear routes for highly-skilled workers and their families.
He said an area of key concern was indefinite leave to remain. “But above all employers want clarity on what the government intends to do with policy. There remains uncertainty as to whether and when the government will follow through on its proposals for reforming indefinite leave to remain, but the looming possibility of a retrospective change to the rules – a change that would catch out many already planning for permanent residence in the next few years – is worrying employees and hampering their ability to make informed business decisions.”