Why do people come to the UK? For family reasons
Updated 3 March 2022
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Data relate to the year 2021 and all comparisons are with the year 2020, unless indicated otherwise.
On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic. A range of restrictions were implemented in many parts of the world, and the first UK lockdown measures were announced on 23 March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the UK immigration system, both in terms of restricting migrant movements to and from the UK and the impact on operational capacity.
Year ending comparisons that follow will reflect the restrictions in place during this period of the pandemic.
This section contains data on:
- Family-related Entry clearance visas
- Dependants on other types of visas
- European Economic Area (EEA) family permits
- EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) family permits
1. Immigration for family reasons
There were 280,776 visas and permits granted for family reasons in 2021, 105% more than 2020, a period affected by the global pandemic, and 49% more than 2019, largely due to increases in dependants of people coming on work or study visas, and the dependants of the newly introduced British Nationals (Overseas) route. A sharp fall in grants was seen in April to June 2020 due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the number of grants of visas and permits has begun to recover to pre-pandemic levels.
The 2021 total included:
- 43,159 family-related visas, 16% more than the previous year, and 22% less than 2019; almost three quarters (71%) of family-related visas granted in 2021 were to partners, with the remainder comprising children or other dependants.
- 171,159 dependants of people coming to the UK on other types of visas, up 165% in the last year and up 111% since 2019; there were particularly large increases in grants to dependants of Sponsored study visa holders (from 19,139 in 2020 to 55,097 in 2021), and dependants of Skilled workers (up 34,516 to 69,488). This number also includes 31,100 dependants of main applicants on the BN(O) route.
- 7,204 EEA family permits, down 55% in the last year, and down 84% compared with 2019.
- 59,254 EUSS family permits were issued in 2021 to family members of people from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein granted or eligible for settled or pre-settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme on the basis of residence in the UK before the end of the transition period (a total of 84,988 have been issued since the route opened in March 2019). The annual increase reflects increased awareness of the route and final closure of the EEA family permit route on 30 June 2021.
Table 1: Family visas and permits granted, by visa type, in 2019, 2020, and 2021
| Visa type | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Percentage change 2019/2021 | Percentage change 2020/2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family-related visas | 55,643 | 37,087 | 43,159 | -22% | +16% |
| of which: | |||||
| Partners | 40,317 | 27,210 | 30,674 | -24% | +13% |
| Children | 7,574 | 4,871 | 5,919 | -22% | +22% |
| Other dependants | 7,752 | 5,006 | 6,566 | -15% | +31% |
| Dependants on other visas1 | 80,957 | 64,640 | 171,159 | +111% | +165% |
| Total family visas | 136,600 | 101,727 | 214,318 | +57% | +111% |
| EEA family permits | 45,692 | 16,122 | 7,204 | -84% | -55% |
| EU Settlement Scheme family permits2 | 6,611 | 19,123 | 59,254 | +796% | +210% |
| Total family permits | 52,303 | 35,245 | 66,458 | +27% | +89% |
| Total family visas and permits | 188,903 | 136,972 | 280,776 | +49% | +105% |
Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes: Vis_D02
Notes:
- This figure now includes dependants of main applicants on the BN(O) entry clearance route. The BN(O) route was launched on 31 January 2021 and accounts for 31,100 dependants in 2021.
- The EU Settlement Scheme family permit is an entry clearance route that launched on 30 March 2019 for certain family members of EEA and Swiss citizens resident in the UK by the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020. It can also be used by certain family members of certain British citizens returning from the EEA or Switzerland. It is not an application to the EU Settlement Scheme. A successful applicant can, if they wish, make an application to the EU Settlement Scheme once in the UK.
Figure 1 shows that all family related visa and permit routes had been steadily increasing for a number of years prior to the pandemic, before falling sharply in 2020, with the exception being EUSS family permits, which continued to increase with 59,254 grants in 2021.
In 2021, grants for all family-related visas, family permits and dependants on other visas increased. Dependants on other visas increased significantly above pre-pandemic levels to 171,159. This was driven by three key factors. Primarily, a large spike above pre-pandemic levels of dependants connected to sponsored study visas, dependants on skilled work visa routes which saw a return to pre-pandemic levels and growth above what was seen in 2019, and finally the addition of the BN(O) route.
Figure 1: Family-related visas and permits granted, by visa type, 2012 to 2021
Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes: Vis_D02
Notes:
- Several changes to the Immigration Rules came into effect on 9 July 2012. Further details on the rule changes can be found in the user guide and in the additional analysis provided in ‘Immigration statistics, July to September 2014’.
- The EU Settlement Scheme family permit is an entry clearance route that launched on 30 March 2019 for certain family members of EEA and Swiss citizens resident in the UK by the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020. It can also be used by certain family members of certain British citizens returning from the EEA or Switzerland. It is not an application to the EU Settlement Scheme. A successful applicant can, if they wish, make an application to the EU Settlement Scheme once in the UK.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all visa application centres were closed at the end of March 2020 and only gradually reopened from June 2020. As a result, visa grant numbers were much lower than usual in April to June 2020, but significantly recovered in the second half of the year. Figure 2 shows that the recovery continued in Q1 and Q2 2021 (January to June) with monthly numbers of visas granted reaching higher than pre-pandemic levels, a trend which continues through to the end of 2021, where visa grants have increased well beyond pre-pandemic levels.
Figure 2: Number of family visas and permits granted, by month, 2019, 2020, and 2021
Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes: Vis_D02 and underlying data
1.1 Family-related visas by nationality
There was an 16% overall increase in family-related visa grants in 2021 compared with a year earlier, but a 22% drop in comparison to 2019.
Pakistani nationals were granted the highest number of family-related visas in 2021, accounting for nearly one fifth (19%) of the total. In 2021, the top five nationalities together accounted for almost two fifths (39%) of all family-related visas granted.
Table 2: Top five nationalities granted family-related visas, 2019, 2020, and 2021
| Nationality | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Percentage change 2019/2021 | Percentage change 2020/2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 9,507 | 6,274 | 8,004 | -16% | +28% |
| India | 4,276 | 2,881 | 2,829 | -34% | -2% |
| United States | 2,795 | 1,887 | 2,384 | -15% | +26% |
| South Africa | 1,804 | 1,426 | 1,864 | +3% | +31% |
| Bangladesh | 2,734 | 2,034 | 1,708 | -38% | +16% |
| All other nationalities | 34,527 | 22,585 | 26,370 | -24% | +17% |
| Total | 55,643 | 37,087 | 43,159 | -22% | +16% |
Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes: Vis_D02
The top nationality, Pakistan, increased by 28% in 2021 compared with the previous year, however the number of family-related visas granted to Pakistani nationals was 16% lower than 2019.
Hong Kong nationals saw a rise in grants in 2021 to 660 (up 23 or 4%), and a 79% increase over 2019. For information on the new British National Overseas (BN(O)) visa route please see the “How many people come to the UK each year” topic.
1.2 Dependants on other visas
In addition to family-related visas, other dependants can be granted visas to join or accompany migrants with visas for other purposes, such as work and study.
In 2021, there were 171,159 visas granted to dependants on other visas, 165% higher than 2020, and 111% higher than 2019. This is largely due to increases in dependants in three areas: sponsored study visas, skilled work visas, and the BN(O) visa route.
The number of dependants of those granted sponsored study visas increased by 35,958, almost tripling the number of dependants on these visas compared to 2020, with a similar increase compared to 2019. The number of dependants of those granted skilled worker visas has also increased, doubling compared to 2020. The BN(O) visa route was introduced in January 2021, and there were 31,100 dependants granted BN(O) visas in 2021. The introduction of the BN(O) visa route accounts for most of the increase in visas granted to dependants in the Other Visa category in Table 3.
Table 3: Visas granted to dependants on other visas1, 2019, 2020, and 2021
| Visa category | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Percentage change 2019/2021 | Percentage change 2020/2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsored Study | 16,047 | 19,139 | 55,097 | +243% | +188% |
| Skilled Work | 49,798 | 34,516 | 69,488 | +40% | +101% |
| Other Work Visas | 5,709 | 3,642 | 6,453 | +13% | +77% |
| Other Visas | 9,403 | 7,343 | 40,121 | +327% | +446% |
| Total | 80,957 | 64,640 | 171,159 | +111% | +165% |
Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes: Vis_D02
Notes:
- Not all visas have a dedicated dependant visa, dependants on those routes are instead granted a general joining or accompanying visa which are contained in this category.
The change in the number of visas granted to dependants of migrants on work and student visas reflects the overall change in those routes – for more information, see the “Why do people come to the UK? To work” and the “Why do people come to the UK? To study” sections.
1.3 Family permits
EUSS family permits and EEA family permits allow eligible family members of relevant people from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein (and of certain British citizens returning to the UK from the EEA or Switzerland) to travel to the UK. After 30 June 2021, EEA family permits were no longer valid for travel to the UK.
There were a total of 66,458 family permits granted in 2021, 89% more than the previous year.
When split by route, there were 7,204 EEA family permits granted in 2021, a decrease of 55%, following a downward trend since Q3 2019.
In addition 59,254 EUSS family permits were granted in 2021, up from 19,123 a year earlier.
2. About these statistics
The statistics in this section provide an indication of the number of people who had an intention to enter the UK for family reasons.
Before 2021, due to the application to the UK of European Union (EU) free movement law, the majority of UK immigration control related to non-European Economic Area (EEA) nationals. From 2021, unless otherwise stated, data in this release relate to both EEA and non-EEA nationals.
Entry clearance visas allow an individual to enter and stay in the UK within the period for which the visa is valid. From 2021, EEA nationals require a visa to enter the UK for family reasons, unless they are eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme or a free EU Settlement Scheme family permit.
Data in this section refer to the number of Entry clearance visas granted for family reasons (including those issued to dependants of those travelling on other types of visas), EEA family permits and EU Settlement Scheme family permits granted, within the period. If an individual was granted a visa more than once in a given period, this has been counted as multiple grants in the statistics. If an individual entered the UK multiple times within the period for which a visa was valid, this has been counted as one grant in the visa statistics.
The data do not show whether, or when, an individual arrived in the UK, what they did on arrival to the UK, or how long they stayed in the UK.
Year-on-year comparisons of the number of decisions can be affected by quarterly fluctuations in the data. These fluctuations can be examined in the quarterly data in the published tables.
Additional analysis on family visas was included in the ‘Immigration statistics, July to September 2014’ release to assist users in understanding the trends in family data before and after the changes to the Immigration Rules in July 2012 (updated in the ‘Immigration statistics, April to June 2015’ release).
For figures on family-related grants of settlement as well as residence documentation issued to EEA nationals and their family members, see ‘How many people continue their stay in the UK?’. Data on the Family reunion visa category can be found in the ‘How many people do we grant asylum or protection to?’.
Prior to 1 July 2021, the EU Settlement Scheme family permit operated alongside the EEA family permit, which continued to provide a separate entry clearance route for those who qualified for it. The EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) family permit facilitates entry into the UK of an eligible family member in order to join, or accompany, an EEA or Swiss citizen who has been granted settled status or pre-settled status under the EUSS. This is a separate entry clearance route from those applying directly to the EU Settlement Scheme. EU Settlement Scheme statistics are published by the Home Office on a monthly basis. More detailed breakdowns are provided on a quarterly basis.
2.1 Other sources
Until 2020, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published long-term international migration (LTIM) estimates in its ‘Migration Statistics Quarterly Report’ (latest data available is for the year ending March 2020). The ONS are currently reviewing their methods for measuring population and migration; see their blog post for more information on the latest developments to ONS population and migration data.
3. Data tables
Data on family immigration can be found in the following tables:
- Entry clearance visa summary tables
- Detailed Entry clearance visa datasets
- Admissions summary tables
- Extensions summary tables
- Detailed Extensions datasets
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