National statistics

Why do people come to the UK? To study

Published 24 November 2022

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Data relate to the year ending September 2022 and all comparisons are with the calendar year 2019 (unless indicated otherwise), reflecting a comparison with the period prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Year ending comparisons that follow will include impacts resulting from the restrictions in place during this period of the pandemic.

Recent changes in visa numbers

There are a range of developments that are likely to have impacted visa numbers recently and which mean that the Home Office visa statistics at present, may include an element of uncertainty around the overall trends.

Global events such as the world recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and international events (war in Ukraine, Taliban takeover in Afghanistan and National Security Law in Hong Kong), along with policy changes introduced as part of the new Immigration system and the end of EU freedom of movement, have all had an impact on migration. As a result, we are seeing large increases in numbers of visas granted on some of the most commonly used routes in the year ending September 2022, with large increases for sponsored study, non-temporary work and dependants of students and workers, as well as on the new humanitarian routes (for people from Ukraine and Afghanistan, and the BN(O) visa route from Hong Kong).

Changes to travel plans caused by the emergence from the pandemic will have led to a higher number of visas being recorded in the most recent period. The reopening of travel opportunities has led to many people changing travel plans, whether for work, study or visits, in some cases recommencing, or bringing forward journeys they had planned during the pandemic. We saw evidence of this in the spike in passport applications in the UK earlier this year and the strong recovery in air travel shown in the previous Home Office statistical reports on passenger air arrivals. Analysis of Home Office data also suggests that some applications for visas will have been delayed, and some others where travel could not take place repeated, and these may also have caused a higher number to be concentrated in the year ending September 2022.

The end of free movement is likely to have had an impact on EU migration, and in turn non-EU migrants may fill some of the work and study places previously taken by EU migrants. Other policy changes such as the expansion of Skilled Work and Health and Care routes, seasonal work and the Graduate route will have increased visa numbers.

It is difficult to unpick the extent to which each of these factors is contributing to the current increase in both visa applications and grants, and the longer-term intentions of any travellers, whether on temporary or more permanent visas. It may take some time before the effects from the pandemic are seen to balance out in the data.

For further details see ‘Recent changes to visa numbers in Home Office data’.

1. Main applicants for sponsored study

In the year ending September 2022, there were 476,389 sponsored study visas issued to main applicants, 77% more than in 2019, where we had previously seen a steady increase prior to the pandemic. There were 24% more study visas issued in the year ending September 2022 compared to the year ending September 2021. However, annual figures are unable to account for changes in travel patterns following the pandemic, which may have led to more students applying for visas in the year ending September 2022, and so comparisons should be treated with caution at this point.

Figure 1: Sponsored study visas granted to main applicants in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and the last 3 years (year ending September 2020 to 2022), by nationality grouping

Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes – Vis_D02

Figure 1 shows that between 2019 and the year ending September 2021, there was an increase in sponsored study visa grants for non-EEA nationals, and a new cohort of EEA and Swiss nationals granted visas from January 2021, following the UKs departure from the EU. EEA and Swiss nationals contributed over 20,000 visas in the first full year. Between the year ending September 2021 and the year ending September 2022, visa grants continued to increase for non-EEA nationals to record levels, with EEA nationals increasing by 12% compared to the previous year.

There was a sharp decrease in visa grants due to the pandemic, with the year ending September 2020 showing the lowest number of sponsored study grants since the timeseries began. The number of students granted a visa has since recovered and reached a new high in the year ending September 2022.

There were 127,731 grants to main applicant Indian nationals in the year ending September 2022, an increase of 93,470 (+273%) compared to 2019 (34,261). Chinese nationals were the second most common nationality granted sponsored study visas in the year ending September 2022, with 116,476 visas granted to main applicants, 2% fewer than the number seen in 2019 (119,231). Chinese nationals were the top nationality for sponsored study grants between 2010 and the year ending June 2022. After Indian nationals, Nigerian nationals saw the largest increase in sponsored study visas of 44,162 (+650%) to 50,960. Chinese and Indian nationals together comprise over half (51%) of all sponsored study grants.

Figure 2: Sponsored study visas granted to main applicants, years ending September 2017 to 2022, top 5 nationalities

Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes – Vis_D02

Figure 2 shows that Chinese nationals accounted for around 120,000 sponsored study visas granted immediately prior to the pandemic, before falling by around half (-56%) to 51,909 in the year ending September 2020. They saw a recovery post-pandemic and are now approximately at the same level they were pre-pandemic. Relative decreases in visa grants to other nationalities between 2019 and the year ending September 2020 were, on average, half the level of Chinese nationals (-28%), with the early COVID-19 impacts on student numbers being primarily accounted for by Chinese nationals. Sponsored study visas for Indian, Nigerian, Pakistan and Bangladesh are all more than 3 times higher than they were in 2019.

1.1 Sponsored study visas to main applicants for EEA and Swiss nationals

From 1 January 2021, changes in the immigration rules mean that EEA and Swiss (excluding Irish) nationals now require a visa to study in the UK.

In the year ending September 2022, there were a total of 23,035 sponsored study visa grants to main applicants for EEA and Swiss students. This was 5% of the total number of overseas Student visas issued in this period. Excluding EEA nationals from the total, there was a 69% increase in visas granted to non-EU nationals compared to 2019.

German students received the most sponsored study grants (4,185, 18% of total), followed by French students (4,113, 18% of total) and Spanish students (3,221, 14% of total). Together these 3 nationalities accounted for half (50%) of all EEA and Swiss grants to study in the year ending September 2022.

The new Graduate route was introduced on 1 July 2021 and allows students who have successfully completed a bachelor’s degree, postgraduate degree or other eligible course to stay in the UK for a period after their studies to work or look for work. A Graduate visa lasts for 2 years, or 3 years in the case of completing a PhD or other doctoral qualification. A total of 59,937 Graduate route extensions were issued to previous students (main applicants) in the year ending September 2022. Further information on the number of extensions granted in this category can be found in the How many people continue their stay in the UK or apply to stay permanently topic.

2. Dependants on sponsored study visas

In the year ending September 2022, one fifth (20%) of sponsored study related visas issued were to family members of students (116,321), compared to 6% (16,047) in 2019, as shown in Figure 3. Since 2019, both the total number of dependants and the proportion of all sponsored study related visas granted to dependants have increased. This change may in part reflect the change in composition of students, if for example there are a greater number of older students attracted to study in the UK.

Figure 3: Visas granted to dependants of sponsored study visa holders by nationality, and percentage of all sponsored study-related visas who were dependants, years ending September 2019 to 2022

Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes – Vis_D02

Figure 3 shows that Nigeria had the highest number of dependants (51,648) of sponsored study visa holders in September 2022, increasing from 1,586 in 2019. Indian nationals had the second highest number of dependants, increasing from 3,135 to 33,239. Visas issued for the top 5 nationalities for sponsored study dependants (Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) were over 100,000 for the year ending September 2022.

Looking at all sponsored study-related visa holders (including main applicants and their dependants), Nigeria saw a large increase in the proportion of visa holders who were dependants, from 19% in 2019, to 50% in the year ending September 2022. Indian nationals also saw an increase in their dependant proportion from 8% to 21%.

Outside of the top 5 nationalities for dependant visas issued (Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka), the increase in proportion was more modest (from 4% to 6%).

3. Sponsored study visa applications

This section relates to the number of Certificates of Acceptance for Study (CAS) used in main applications for study visas, which present the numbers of students applying to study in the main educational sectors (comparisons are made with the year ending September 2019, due to data issues between October to December 2019 and April to June 2020 - see section 6.4 for details.

In the year ending September 2022, the total number of CAS used in study visa applications was 462,660. This was 79% higher than the 258,787 seen in the year ending September 2019, prior to the pandemic. A more detailed breakdown can be found in the detailed sponsorship tables.

The vast majority of visas (91%) are granted for study at higher education (university) institutions, with the total divided between:

• higher education (91%)
• further education (3%)
• independent schools (3%)
• English language schools (2%)
• other (1%)

Non-Russell group universities now make up 59% of all CAS used in study visa applications, increasing by 159,423 (+141%) compared with the year ending September 2019. This is the highest proportion of Non-Russell group CAS seen since the Sponsorship time series began in 2010.

The most recent Higher Education Statistics Authority’s (HESA) student statistics report only covers the 2020 to 2021 academic year. Between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021 there was an increase of 48,500 non-UK student enrolments. This was largely driven by an increase in non-EU students. HESA statistics for the year 2021 to 2022 will be published January 2023.

4. Short term study

In addition to those coming on sponsored study visas, there were 5,117 Short-term Study visas granted in the year ending June 2022 (for English language courses lasting longer than 6 months and up to 11 months).

Not every person will require a visa for short-term study in the UK. For example, non-visa nationals are permitted up to 6 months of short-term study and will not be included in the number of short-term study visas. Data on non-visa nationals coming for short-term study is not currently available but prior to the pandemic the largest numbers arriving by this route were nationals of the United States.

People who require a visa to come to the UK can now apply for a Standard Visitor visa (as of December 2020) for short-term courses lasting up to 6 months, and are included in the visitor visa data. People arriving on this route are not allowed to bring family members (‘dependants’).

5. Immigration for study

In the year ending September 2022, the total number of sponsored study visas granted (including dependants) was 592,710, more than double (+108%) the number in 2019, the last full year before the pandemic, and 39% higher than the previous year. 80% of study visas were issued to main applicants and 20% to dependents.

These increases will in part reflect the recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international travel, and the change in travel plans, and in part also reflect the requirement for EEA and Swiss nationals to apply for an entry clearance visa following the end of free movement when the UK left the EU at the start of 2021.

6. About these statistics

The statistics in this section provide an indication of the number of people who have an intention to enter the UK for study reasons.

Before 2021, due to European Union (EU) freedom of movement principles, 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. Data in this section refer to the number of Entry clearance visas granted for study reasons 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.

The data does not show whether, or when, an individual arrived in the UK, what they did on arrival 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. Year ending comparisons will also include impacts resulting from the travel restrictions put in place during the pandemic.

6.1 Student (sponsored study)

The Student visa has replaced the Tier 4 (General) Student visa as of 5th October 2020. It provides a route for students over the age of 16 to study with an approved education provider in the UK.

6.2 Child Student (sponsored study)

The Child student visa has replaced the Tier 4 (Child) Student visa as of 5 October 2020. It provides a route for students between the ages of 4 and 17 years old to study at an approved independent school in the UK.

6.3 Tier 4 (sponsored study)

Tier 4 (sponsored study) provided a route for students to study with an approved education provider. It was implemented from 31 March 2009, replacing previous entry routes for study. It has been discontinued since 5 October 2020 and has been replaced with the Student and Child student routes.

6.4 Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)

From October to December 2019, the method for extracting in-country and out-of-country CAS data has changed. Data quality issues identified as part of this change in methodology has meant that some cases from January to March 2020 onwards are unable to be separately identified as either a visa or extension case, and so have been categorised as unknown.

To apply for a Student visa or for an extension of stay as a student (sponsored), individuals must use a CAS from a sponsoring educational institution. Study visas applied for with a CAS are also referred to as Sponsored visa applications. Statistics relating to sponsored acceptances for study measure the number of successful sponsorship applications in the 4 main educational sectors: universities (higher education), further education, independent schools and English language schools.

6.5 Short-term study

The current Short-term study visa (previously described as ‘Student visitor’) is for English language courses lasting longer than 6 months and up to 11 months. Individuals with this visa cannot extend their stay. People coming to the UK for short-term courses (lasting up to 6 months) can apply for a Standard Visitor visa. Admissions data shows considerably more Short-term student admissions from non-EEA nationals than Short-term student visas granted. This is due to many student visitor admissions being from nationalities that are not required to obtain a visa if they wish to come to the UK as a Short-term student for 6 months or less (such as US nationals).

6.6 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 but have released provisional experimental statistics for the year ending June 2021.

In January 2022, HESA published its latest ‘Higher Education Student Statistics UK’ for the academic year 2020 to 2021. HESA publishes data on new entrants to UK higher education providers for both EEA and non-EEA nationals.

7. Data tables

Data on student immigration can be found in the following tables:

• Sponsorship summary tables
• Detailed sponsorship datasets
• Entry clearance visas summary tables
• Detailed Entry clearance visas datasets
• Admissions summary tables
• Extensions summary tables
• Detailed extensions datasets

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