The UK has seen a significant 35% drop in visa applications over the past year due to stricter immigration policies aimed at reducing foreign nationals' intake. Official Home Office figures, released on August 8, 2024, show applications fell from 141,000 to 91,000 after new rules came into effect in January 2024.

The policy changes, introduced in December 2023, specifically targeted international students, limiting their ability to bring dependants unless enrolled in postgraduate research or government-funded programs. This has led to a 16% decrease in study visa applications and an 81% decline in applications from student dependants between January and July 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

The healthcare sector has also been hit hard, with Health and Care Worker visa applications dropping by 80% during the same period. Applications surged after care workers were added to the skilled worker visa category in 2022, peaking at 18,300 in August 2023, but then plummeting to 2,900 by July 2024. Nadra Ahmed, Executive Co-Chairman of the National Care Association, voiced concerns that healthcare workers are now choosing to move to countries with less restrictive immigration policies.

Despite the negative impacts on education and healthcare, the UK government remains committed to controlling immigration, focusing on developing a "homegrown workforce" to address the shortage of skilled workers in the country.