UK Sees Sharp Decline in Foreign Worker Visa Applications Amid Tightened Immigration Rules
The number of foreign workers applying for UK visas has reached its lowest point in years, following the government’s stricter immigration policies.
In November 2024, the Home Office received just 4,100 skilled worker visa applications—the lowest since January 2022 and a significant drop of 2,000 compared to November 2023. The decline was particularly steep in health and care worker visa applications, which fell to 1,900 from nearly 10,000 in November 2023. Meanwhile, 3,800 applications were submitted for bringing dependents to the UK.
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This marks a stark contrast to August 2023, when applications from foreign doctors, nurses, and other health and social care professionals peaked at 18,300, an all-time high.
The reduced inflow of foreign workers comes at a critical time for the UK, as Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook acknowledged the continued reliance on foreign builders to address the nation’s housing crisis. Despite this, Pennycook made it clear that visa restrictions would not be eased to meet the government’s ambitious target of constructing 1.5 million new homes.
“We’re not looking at easing restrictions, but we will be reliant, partly due to changes made by the previous government, on some foreign workers in this space,” Pennycook stated during an interview with LBC.
He emphasized the importance of developing local talent, revealing that the government has allocated £140 million to establish training hubs across the country. “We’ve got to do more to train and skill up our own people to work in this industry. If we don’t take steps to address this, we won’t be able to achieve the 1.5 million new homes target,” he added.
This decline in visa applications underscores the ongoing challenges the UK faces in balancing immigration policies with labor market needs, particularly in sectors critical to its economic and social infrastructure.
