UK Work Visa, Study, Family Visa Application Decline in June Following Immigration Rule Changes

UK work, study, and family visa applications declined in June 2025 following sweeping changes to the UK’s immigration rules. Monthly entry clearance visa applications released by the UK Home Office revealed a decline across all visa levels.

Skilled Work Visa Route

Monthly applications were 1,700 in June 2025 due to more scrutiny applied by the Home Office to employers in the health and social care sector, and compliance activity taken against employers who do not fulfil their obligations as employers of migrant workers.

Applications for dependents, which peaked at 23,300 in August 2023, have decreased sharply between December 2023 and June 2025, with there being only 4,300 applications in June 2025. Skilled Worker visa applications stood at 3,800 in June, having initially peaked at 10,100 in April 2024.

Applications for dependents on the Skilled Worker route have largely followed the trend for main applicants, as there were only 4,200 applications in June 2025.

Temporary Work Route

The main temporary work routes to the UK (the Youth Mobility Scheme and Seasonal Worker route) follow more seasonal patterns, typically peaking in Spring of each year. Individuals on these routes are however ineligible to bring dependants.

There were 22,200 applications for Youth Mobility Scheme visas in the year ending June 2025, 10% fewer than the year ending June 2024.  Seasonal Worker visas on the other hand is subject to an annual quota, which means that the number of applications have been broadly stable at 30,000 to 37,000 over the last few years. There were 38,600 applications for Seasonal Worker visas in the year ending June 2025, 10% more than the year ending June 2024.

Sponsored Study Visa

Applications from Sponsored study visa main applicants in the year ending June 2025 (424,900) were 7% lower than the year ending June 2024, although applications in the first 6 months of 2025 were 19% higher than the equivalent period in 2024.

There were 19,400 applications from dependents of students in the year ending June 2025, 87% 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 dependents, other than those studying postgraduate research courses or courses with government-funded scholarships.

Family visas

Family visa applications increased from 7,500 in December 2023 to 12,700 in April 2024, following the announcement in December 2023 of the proposed increase in Family income requirements. After the implementation of the policy in April 2024, numbers fell sharply to 5,100 in June 2024. There were 7,000 applications for Family visas in June 2025.

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