A crackdown on foreign students’ visas has slashed the number of dependants they are bringing into the UK by 80 per cent, Home Office figures show.
The data revealed that the number of dependants granted visas to join their student spouse or parent in the UK has fallen from 32,900 in the first quarter of 2023 to 6,700 in the same period this year.
The number of overseas students applying for visas also fell by 15 per cent, from 39,900 in the first quarter of 2023 to 35,000 in the same period in 2024.
It followed curbs introduced by Rishi Sunak that barred overseas students other than those doing PhD research work bringing dependants to join them in the UK.
Students can also no longer switch their visa before completing their course, preventing them from using the route as a back door to work in the UK.
Very few student dependants have applied this yearMonthly number of applicants for sponsored study visas