UK Student Visa Patterns in 2025: Key Shifts and Outcomes

According to the latest official immigration statistics, the UK granted 431,725 sponsored study visas in the year ending June 2025. This marks an 18% fall compared with 2024, yet the figure remains more than 50% higher than in 2019. Out of the total, 413,921 were issued to main applicants and 17,804 to dependants. The number of dependants declined sharply, down 81% in a single year.

For several years between 2011 and 2016, totals held steady at roughly 200,000 per year, with nearly all issued to principal applicants. Numbers then rose gradually to 284,721 in 2019. After a short dip during the pandemic, the UK saw a surge, reaching 652,072 by 2023. That period of expansion was linked to the end of travel restrictions, the launch of the Graduate route, and changes linked to the UK’s exit from the EU. By 2024 and 2025, though, totals were pushed down again, largely due to the new restrictions on dependants.

The Impact of Policy Changes

From January 2024 only postgraduate research students could bring partners or children. This reform explains the dramatic fall in dependant visas. The main applicant numbers also decreased slightly, showing that family rules can influence overall choices.

The growth between 2020 and 2023 had been helped by the Graduate route, which allows eligible students to remain in the UK for up to three years, and by the International Education Strategy target of hosting 600,000 international students annually by 2030. That milestone was achieved earlier than expected, but the recent downturn highlights how quickly the trend can shift once policies change.

Leading Source Countries

Chinese and Indian students remain at the top. In 2025, Chinese nationals received 99,919 sponsored study visas and Indian nationals obtained 98,014. Each group represented around one-quarter of the total. Pakistan followed with 37,013 visas.

The data also shows declines for some countries. Nigerian nationals saw a 25% reduction in 2025. Indian students dropped by 11% and Chinese students by 7%. In contrast, Pakistan and the United States saw gains of 9% and 7%.

Masters-level study continues to drive the majority of student arrivals. Over the past five years, more than 60% of visas were tied to masters courses. In early 2025, four out of five Indian students were pursuing a masters degree, compared to just under 60% of Chinese students.

Stability in Visa Extensions

The pattern of study visa extensions is steady even though the number of fresh grants has shifted. In the year ending June 2025, 35,181 principal applicants secured extensions to remain in the UK for study. The number is almost unchanged from 34,879 the previous year. Extensions for dependants came to 5,985, slightly below 2024.

Chinese nationals accounted for 11,999 extensions, Indian nationals for 6,260, and Nigerian nationals for 4,041. Together, they made up 56% of all extensions. Most applicants had already been on a student visa, though about one in ten switched from work visas.

Patterns of Long-Term Residence

Historical UK immigration data shows that students arriving between 2007 and 2014 were less likely to remain in the UK. Only 14% of non-EU students still had valid or indefinite status a decade later. Work migrants reached 23% while family migrants were at 87%.

The picture is different for newer groups. With the Graduate route available, students have a stronger path to stay on and work. Among those who arrived in 2020 and 2021, 57% and 59% were still legally present three years later. This compares with 39% for the 2019 cohort and just 34% on average for those between 2011 and 2018.