Tougher rules on foreign students and care workers bringing dependants to the UK will lead to a drop of about 300,000 people arriving in the country, government figures suggest.
There was an 80 per cent fall in student dependant applications, and 26,000 fewer student visa applications, in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year.
In January, the British government introduced measures to tighten student visa requirements, which prevented most international students starting courses this year from bringing family members with them.
Students can also no longer switch their visas before completing their course, preventing people from using the route to work in the UK.
The government also restricted care workers from bringing dependants to Britain.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said strong action was needed to “cut unsustainable and unfair levels of migration” and said the data reflected that this was being achieved.
“Ever-spiralling numbers were eroding the British people’s confidence in our immigration system, burdening public services and suppressing wages,” Mr Cleverly said.
“When I promised to deliver the largest-ever cut in legal migration, I knew we must also work to show the impact of our action as soon as practically possible.
“This data shows a significant fall in numbers on the first of our measures to take effect whilst underlining why necessary action was taken to cut unsustainable numbers of care worker dependants.
“This does not mark the end of the road in our plan to cut migration, there is more still to come. Over the coming months, we will continue to show the pace of our progress as we deliver the control the public rightly expect.”
The figures reveal that in the first quarter of 2024, dependant applications on the Health and Care visa continued to outnumber main applicants.
Measures to restrict care workers from bringing dependants came into effect on March 11 and the government believes its effects will be seen in future statistics.
Doctors, nurses and other health professionals remain able to bring dependants.
Care providers acting as sponsors for migrants in England are now required to register with the industry regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), to reduce worker exploitation and abuse within the sector.
It follows incidents of care workers being offered visas under false pretences, recruited into non-existent jobs or paid below the minimum wage required for their work, exploiting them while undercutting British workers.
The government has also raised the general salary threshold for those arriving on the Skilled Worker visa from £26,200 to £38,700, meaning the effect of this measure will also be revealed in future statistics releases.
The government says the packages to reduce legal migration will mean approximately 300,000 people arriving in Britain last year would no longer be able to.
The Migration Advisory Committee is reviewing the graduate route for international students, to prevent abuse, and is due to publish its report next month.
The measures come as the government seeks to prevent small boats carrying asylum seekers from crossing the Channel. Last week, a bill to send illegal immigrants to Rwanda passed through the House of Lords.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Stage 5 results
1 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 3:48:53
2 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team -
3 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott -
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:00:04
5 Ilnur Zakarin (RUS) CCC Team 0:00:07
General Classification:
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 20:35:04
2 Tadej Pogacar (SlO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:01
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 0:01:33
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:48
5 Rafał Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:02:11
The specs
Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km
The details
Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
