Indian nationals top the tally of skilled worker and student visas issued by the UK over the past year, according to official immigration statistics released in London on Thursday.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data collated by the UK Home Office shows that Indian nationals were the top nationality for cross-sector skilled work, including specifically targeted healthcare visas aimed at filling staff shortages in the National Health Service (NHS), PTI reported.
Indians also made up the largest group of students granted visas under the new Graduate post-study work route, representing 41 percent of grants.
Indian nationals lead the way
“Indian nationals were the top nationality for visas in the ‘Worker’ category, representing one third (33 percent) of grants, and were by far the top nationality for both the ‘Skilled Worker’ and ‘Skilled Worker – Health and Care’ visas,” the Home Office analysis notes.
“A total of 92,951 Graduate route extensions were granted to previous students in the year ending March 2023. Indian nationals represented the largest group of students granted leave to remain on the Graduate route, representing 41 percent of grants,” it said.
According to the latest statistics, skilled worker visas granted to Indians rose 63 percent, from 13,390 in 2021-22 to 21,837 in 2022-23.
In the healthcare visa category, Indians registered an even higher 105 percent hike from 14,485 to 29,726.
“Nigeria had the highest number of dependents (66,796) of sponsored study visa holders in the year ending March 2023, increasing from 27,137 in the year ending March 2022. Indian nationals had the second highest number of dependents, increasing from 22,598 to 42,381, the analysis said.
The latest data comes days after UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman announced a clampdown on the right of student visa holders to bring dependent family members, limiting it only to Ph.D. level students.
“This package includes: removing the right for international students to bring dependents unless they are on postgraduate courses currently designated as research programmes,” Braverman said in a statement to the House of Commons announcing a new package of measures to curb migration.
It was widely seen as pre-emptive action ahead of the latest ONS figures revealing on Thursday that net migration to the UK hit a record 606,000 in 2022-23, up from 504,000 in the previous year and driven by a sharp rise in workers and students from outside the European Union (EU).
More people from outside the EU arriving on student and work visas, as well as the Ukraine and Hong Kong schemes, all contributed, the ONS said.
Reacting to the data, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Numbers are too high, it’s as simple as that. And I want to bring them down.”
Asked whether immigration was out of control, the British-Indian prime minister replied: “Well, no, I think the numbers are just too high.”
He told ITV that the measures to tighten visa rules for overseas students which were put in place this week were “significant” and would bring levels down over time.
In a bid to drive down net migration, from next year, only those on postgraduate research programmes will be able to bring their families to the UK.
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