The latest data from the Home Office shows foreign students may be making a comeback to the UK. There has been an 18% increase in total study visas issued in the first 6 months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
Chinese students are now the most common nationality, with 99,919 (24%) study visas granted in the year ending June 2025. Indian students were almost as numerous, with 98,014 (24%) visas granted.
However, in the year ending June 2025, there were 431,725 sponsored study visas grants, 18% fewer than the previous year. This included 413,921 main applicants – 4% fewer than in the year ending June 2024 – and 17,804 dependants – 81% fewer than the previous year.
Study Visa Trends
The trend in sponsored study visas in recent years has been primarily driven by those seeking to pursue a master’s degree (accounting for over 60% of study visas over the last five years). In the year ending March 2025, 4 out of 5 (81%) Indian students came to the UK to study for a master’s level qualification, compared to just over half (59%) of Chinese students.
The number of visas issued reached a peak of 652,072 in the year ending June 2023, due to increases in both main applicants and dependants.
The number of visas issued has since decreased, falling to 431,725 in the year ending June 2025, largely due to there being fewer dependants accompanying main applicants.
Sponsored study visas follow seasonal patterns, peaking in August each year, ahead of the academic year (with a second smaller peak in December). Data shows that applications from Sponsored study visa main applicants in the year ending July 2025 (428,900) were 3% lower than the year ending July 2024.
There were 20,200 applications from dependants of students in the year ending July 2025, 86% fewer than the year ending December 2023. This followed the rule changes that came into effect in January 2024, which prevent most students from bringing dependants, other than those studying postgraduate research courses or courses with government-funded scholarships.
Reasons behind the Fall
The decrease in visas issued from 2024 was due to fewer dependants following a policy change for courses starting on or after 1 January 2024, whereby only research-based postgraduate students are allowed to bring dependants (partners and children) to the UK.
The restrictions may also have influenced the number of main applicant visas granted, which also decreased over the same period, albeit to a lesser extent. Policy changes are one of a number of factors that affect visa application volumes.