After the US, is the UK also losing its appeal for Indian students and professionals? The visa data suggests so

Time of India

4 days ago

For decades, the US and UK have been the twin magnets for India's ambitious middle class, destinations where academic dreams are nurtured and professional lives are redefined. But the tide, it appears, is shifting.
After the United States began tightening its visa and immigration policies, the UK, long seen as a dependable alternative, is also witnessing a sharp drop in applications from Indian students and workers. The latest Home Office statistics offer a telling picture of how shifting policies are reshaping mobility patterns and recalibrating the global race for talent.
A sharp slide in Indian work visas
In 2023, Indian nationals held the lion's share of UK work visas, accounting for a staggering 162,655 visas.
Fast forward to 2024, and that number was halved. Only 81,463 work-related visas were issued to Indians, a 50% decline in just a year according to UK Home Office data, 2025.
The drop has been particularly severe in the Health and Care Worker category, which had once been the gateway for thousands of Indian families to settle in the UK. Applications from main applicants in this route peaked at 18,300 in August 2023, before plunging to just 1,300 in July 2025.
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A cocktail of policy changes is to blame: tighter scrutiny of employers, the ban on overseas recruitment of new care workers from July 2025, and restrictions on dependants.
Even the Skilled Worker visa, once a relatively stable route, has come under strain. Applications, which hovered at around 6,000 a month until 2024, fell to 4,900 in July 2025. A sharp increase in the minimum salary threshold, now at £41,700 (up from £38,700), has pushed many aspirants out of contention.
For Indian professionals, who made up 22% of all UK work visas in 2024, this narrowing door is more than just a bureaucratic hurdle. It signals a fundamental shift in how the UK is recalibrating its immigration framework, prioritising control over openness.
Students: A familiar story of falling numbers
The story on the education front is no less stark. Indian students, the backbone of UK universities' international enrolment drive, are turning away in large numbers.
In 2023, 159,371 Indian students were granted study visas. By 2024, that number had dropped to 92,355, a steep 42% fall according to Home Office data. While India still ranks second only to China in terms of study visa recipients, the decline underscores the chilling effect of immigration curbs.
The blow has been particularly hard on dependants. New rules effective January 2024 barred most students, barring research scholars and those on government-funded programmes, from bringing dependants.
The impact is visible: Dependent applications fell by 86% between December 2023 and July 2025.
For many Indian families, the UK's appeal lay not only in its academic credentials but also in its ability to offer a more holistic migration pathway. With that avenue closing, the cost–benefit calculus of choosing Britain is being rigorously re-evaluated.
Policy shifts: A deliberate recalibration
The numbers do not exist in a vacuum; they are the direct outcome of policy.
The UK government's 'Restoring Control over the Immigration System' white paper, unveiled in May 2025, has significantly reshaped entry routes. Beyond the salary threshold hike and care worker restrictions, the rules raised the skill level requirement for visas to RQF level 6 or above, squeezing out a large pool of mid-level professionals.
For students, the tightening of dependants reflects the government's broader pledge to bring down net migration, which hit 745,000 in 2022, according to a report by the BBC.
While politically expedient, the fallout is evident in the corridors of British universities and workplaces, where diversity and global talent have long been a strength.
Déjà vu after the US crackdown
For Indian students and professionals, the déjà vu is unmistakable. The US, once the undisputed first choice, has also tightened post-study work options, imposed tougher scrutiny on student visas, and placed caps on certain categories of employment.
With Britain following a similar trajectory, the global education and migration map is being redrawn.
Australia and Canada, with comparatively more flexible policies, are now aggressively positioning themselves as the new hubs for Indian talent. Canada, despite recent caps on international student numbers, still offers more post-study work opportunities than the UK. Australia, too, has streamlined visa categories to attract skilled workers, especially in STEM fields.
What this means for India's mobility aspirations
The fall in visa numbers is more than a statistical blip, it is a reflection of changing aspirations and altered strategies among Indian families. The once linear path of study → work → settlement in the UK is now riddled with obstacles.
This also raises a larger question: If both the US and the UK, the traditional bastions of higher education and skilled migration, are tightening their borders, where does India's restless young workforce turn?
With nearly 13 million Indians entering the workforce every year, the demand for global education and employment avenues will not dissipate.
Instead, it may flow elsewhere, to newer, more welcoming destinations.
The fading allure of Britain
The United Kingdom has, for long, marketed itself as an open, cosmopolitan society powered by international talent. But the latest visa data paints a sobering picture: The appeal is fading, especially for Indians, who have historically formed its largest student and worker cohort.
The symbolism is striking. First America, now Britain. For a generation of Indians who grew up believing that the 'Anglo-American dream' was the surest route to prosperity, the dream is being renegotiated.
As policy hardens in London and Washington, it is perhaps in Toronto, Melbourne, or even within India's own borders where the next chapter of that dream will be written.
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