Experts attribute reduction to recent restrictions and advise a strategic approach to workforce planning
28 August 2026
The number of work visas granted by the UK has fallen in the past year, according to statistics released by the Home Office yesterday (27 August).
There were 235,000 work visas granted in the year ending June 2026, a fifth (18 per cent) fewer than the previous year.
The number of work visas issued has fallen by 62 per cent compared with the year ending December 2023, when it peaked.
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This decline can largely be attributed to the fall in sponsored ‘worker’ visas granted in the past year, with only 120,000 issued, a drop of 76 per cent compared with the year ending December 2023. This included health and care worker visas, which reduced by 90 per cent in this period, and skilled worker visas, which fell by 48 per cent.
Chetal Patel, head of immigration at Bates Wells, said the figures reflected the impact of government restrictions on work-related immigration, which were affecting employers’ ability to recruit internationally.
These have included a ban on dependants for most health and care workers, higher salary thresholds, the removal of many occupations from sponsorship eligibility, increased sponsor compliance obligations and the closure of lower-skilled routes.
“While the...
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