UK Dependant Visas for Indian Students Up 1,900%

Recent data from the UK Office of National Statistics (ONS) reveals that Indian students obtained a remarkable 27% of all UK study visas issued from September 2022 to 2023, totalling over 1.3 lakh. Moreover, Indian nationals received the second-highest number of dependent visas in the same period, with 43,445 visas issued, signifying a staggering 1,900% increase from 2019.

The UK has undergone a policy change and will cease issuing student dependent visas starting in January 2024. The overall study visa count for Indian nationals reached 1,33,237, constituting 27% of all sponsored UK study visas, and saw a 5% increase from the previous year. Notably, 91% of study-abroad applicants opted for higher education. 

Additionally, Indian nationals demonstrated a 97% visa approval rate. The data highlights a substantial growth in dependent and family visa grants, reflecting the strong presence of Indian students in the UK. 

The new UK visa policy, effective January 2024, has already impacted admissions to some UK MBA institutions. Nigerians and Indians collectively accounted for 68% of student-dependent visas issued in the year ending September 2023. 

The graduate route extension, introduced in 2021, granted Indians the largest share (43%) of the 1,04,501 extensions to former students in the year ending September 2023. In comparison, Chinese nationals, the second-highest recipients of sponsored study visas, obtained 1,08,978 visas by the end of September 2023.

The number of study visas granted to Pakistani nationals experienced the sharpest increase at 30%, reaching 33,150. The data also reveals fluctuations in skilled worker visas for Indians, indicating an 11% drop in the overall figure, while “skilled worker—health and care” visas rose by 76% to 38,866.