Official Statistics

Monthly entry clearance visa applications, July 2025

Published 14 August 2025

Next update due: 11 September 2025

The visa application data in this release provides statistics on numbers of people with an intention to enter the UK for work, study and family reasons.

The statistics in this release are provisional. Final numbers will be published in the quarterly Home Office Immigration system statistics.

1. Work visas

1.1 Skilled work routes

Figure 1: Monthly applications for ‘Skilled Worker’ and ‘Health and Care Worker’ visas, January 2022 to July 2025

Figure 1 shows that the monthly number of Health and Care Worker visa applications from main applicants increased from 4,100 to 18,300 between February 2022 and August 2023, following the addition of care workers to the Shortage Occupation List.

Monthly applications subsequently fell to 2,400 in March 2024 and have remained low since then. These falls were initially due to more scrutiny applied by the Home Office to employers in the health and social care sector, and compliance activity taken against employers who do not fulfil their obligations as employers of migrant workers, with further reductions after additional policy measures affecting care workers were introduced in Spring 2024. There were 1,300 applications in the latest month, July 2025.

Monthly applications for dependants on the Health and Care Worker route increased in-line with main applicants, peaking at 23,300 in August 2023. Applications for dependants decreased sharply between December 2023 and April 2024 and have remained significantly lower than 2023 levels. There were 4,900 applications in July 2025.

In contrast, the monthly number of Skilled Worker visa applications from main applicants were broadly stable between June 2022 and March 2024 at around 6,000 applications per month. Applications temporarily increased to 10,100 in April 2024, before returning to average levels in the following month. Applications were gradually decreasing but have seen a small rise in July 2025. There were 4,900 applications in July 2025.

Applications for dependants on the Skilled Worker route have largely followed the trend for main applicants. There were 5,300 applications in July 2025.

1.2 Temporary work routes

The main temporary work routes to the UK (the Youth Mobility Scheme and Seasonal Worker route) follow more seasonal patterns, typically peaking in Spring of each year. Individuals on these routes are ineligible to bring dependants.

There were 22,200 applications for Youth Mobility Scheme visas in the year ending July 2025, 10% fewer than the year ending July 2024. Numbers in the last couple of years also include the addition of the India Young Professionals Scheme, which held its first ballot in February 2023.

Seasonal Worker visas are also subject to an annual quota, which means that the number of applications have been broadly stable at 30,000 to 40,000 over the last few years. There were 38,600 applications for Seasonal Worker visas in the year ending July 2025, 9% more than the year ending July 2024.

2. Study visas

Figure 2: Monthly applications for ‘Sponsored study’ visas, January 2022 to July 2025

Sponsored study visas follow seasonal patterns, peaking in August each year, ahead of the academic year (with a second smaller peak in December). Figure 2 shows that applications from Sponsored study visa main applicants in the year ending July 2025 (428,900) were 3% lower than the year ending July 2024.

There were 20,200 applications from dependants of students in the year ending July 2025, 86% fewer than the year ending December 2023. This followed the rule changes that came into effect in January 2024 which prevent most students from bringing dependants, other than those studying postgraduate research courses or courses with government-funded scholarships.

3. Family visas

Figure 3: Monthly applications for ‘Family’ visas, January 2022 to July 2025

Figure 3 shows that monthly numbers of Family visa applications increased from 7,500 in December 2023 to 12,700 in April 2024, following the announcement in December 2023 of the proposed increase in Family income requirements.

After the implementation of the policy in April 2024, numbers fell sharply to 5,100 in June 2024 but have gradually increased since. There were 8,100 applications for Family visas in July 2025.

4. Policy changes

On 12 May 2025, the Home Office announced further changes to immigration rules in the Restoring Control over the Immigration System white paper. The policy changes affecting Work visas came into effect on 22 July 2025. Policy changes are one of a range of factors that can impact visa application trends.

The changes to Immigration Rules affecting ‘Skilled Worker’ and ‘Health and Care Worker’ visas are as follows:

• Skill level requirement raised: To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, the job must now be at RQF level 6 or above, with exceptions for jobs which are on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List
• Minimum salary: Skilled Worker visas increased from £38,700 to £41,700; for Health and Care Worker visa, the salary threshold stayed the same at £25,000
• Ending overseas recruitment for care workers: No new international applicants will be allowed to apply for care jobs in the UK under the current visa route; however some people in care worker and senior care worker roles can continue to apply to switch visas in-country until July 2028

5. Data table

Data on monthly applications for ‘Skilled Worker’, ‘Health and Care Worker’, ‘Sponsored study’, ‘Family’, ‘Youth Mobility Scheme’ and ‘Seasonal Worker’ visas can be found in the following table:

• Monthly entry clearance visa applications: data tables, July 2025