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Over 173,000 visas for work and study were granted to Indian nationals by the UK in 2024, according to the latest data from the Home Office. Indian citizens received the highest proportion of work visas, with 81,463 issued, representing 22% of the total 369,419 work-related visas. This figure significantly exceeded those for other nationalities, with Pakistan receiving 9% (33,248) and Nigeria 7%.
Of the work visas granted to Indians, 34,954 were main applicants, and 46,509 were dependants. The most common categories were health and care worker visas (30,301) and skilled worker visas (27,922). However, the total number of work visas issued to Indians saw a substantial 50% decrease compared to 2023 (162,655), likely due to new UK migration rules that banned most dependants for care workers and raised the skilled worker salary threshold. Consequently, main applicant work visas for Indians fell by 53%, and dependant visas by 48%.
In study visas, Indian nationals received the second-highest number, with 92,355 visas (22% of the total 419,312), following China (25%). The vast majority (88,909) were for main applicants. Similar to work visas, study visa numbers for Indians also declined significantly, falling by 42% from 159,371 in 2023. This drop is largely attributed to rule changes restricting most international students from bringing family members. Main study visa applicants from India decreased by 26%, while dependant numbers plummeted by 91%.
