Admissions
Updated 3 March 2016
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2015/admissions
Valid: 25 February 2016 to 25 May 2016
Total passenger admissions data are available up to the end of 2015; data on the purpose of journey (e.g. visit, work, study) to the year ending June 2015; and for individual nationalities are available up to the end of 2014.
Back to ‘Immigration statistics October to December 2015’ content page.
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1.Key facts
The total number of journeys increased by 5% to a record 123.4 million in 2015 (+6.3 million). This increase was accounted for by 5.8 million more journeys by British, other EEA and Swiss nationals (up 6% to 108.2 million) and 0.6 million more journeys by non-EEA nationals (up 4% to 15.2 million), compared with 2014.
For non-EEA nationals, more detailed data by category are less up to date than the totals. There were 14.9 million journeys in the year ending June 2015, 4% more than in the previous 12 months, and the highest number since the data series began. There was an increase in the work (+8%; +12,300) category along with falls for the study (-7%; -13,800), family (-17%; -4,060) and student visitor (-3%; -9,470) categories. The number of visitors increased by 6% (+0.5 million).
The number of passengers refused entry at port fell by 3% to 17,516 in 2015 (-522).
2.Admissions by purpose of journey – non-EEA nationals
| Year | Total admissions (Millions) | Work | Study | Student visitors (1) | Family | Visitors (Millions) | Other (Millions) |
| Year ending Jun 2011 | 13.1 | 161,000 | 303,000 | 246,000 | 42,600 | 7.6 | 4.7 |
| Year ending Jun 2012 | 13.2 | 142,000 | 212,000 | 295,000 | 33,800 | 7.8 | 4.7 |
| Year ending Jun 2013 | 13.1 | 145,000 | 202,000 | 268,000 | 26,500 | 8.0 | 4.4 |
| Year ending Jun 2014 | 14.4 | 158,000 | 197,000 | 294,000 | 24,600 | 8.8 | 4.9 |
| Year ending Jun 2015 | 14.9 | 170,000 | 183,000 | 284,000 | 20,500 | 9.3 | 5.0 |
| Change: latest year | +0.6 | +12,300 | -13,800 | -9,470 | -4,060 | +0.5 | +0.1 |
| Percentage change | +4% | +8% | -7% | -3% | -17% | +6% | +2% |
Table notes
Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics October to December 2015, Admissions table ad 02 q.
(1) Student visitors are allowed to come to the UK for 6 months (or 11 months if they will be studying an English Language course) and cannot extend their stay. The student visitor category was introduced in 2007 and may include individuals previously recorded as visitors, so for consistency and comparability over time they have been excluded from study-related totals. For further discussion of study and student visitors, see the Study section. For both visitors and student visitors, non-visa nationals do not require a visa for visits of up to 6 months, so total figures for admissions are not directly comparable with total visitor or student visitor visas.
3.Long-term trends in admissions
The chart below illustrates longer-term trends in passengers entering the UK by calendar year.
Chart notes
Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics October to December 2015, Admissions table ad 01.
4.Top 5 non-EEA nationalities admitted, 2014
(Total number of admissions: 14.6 million)
Chart notes
Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics October to December 2015, Admissions table ad 03.
5.Data tables
Further data on admissions and passengers refused entry at port are available in Admissions tables ad 01 to ad 04.
6.Background information
The figures in this section relate to the number of journeys made by people entering the UK. Where an individual enters the country more than once, each arrival is counted. For non-EEA nationals who are subject to immigration control, more detailed information is available on their nationality and purpose of their journey.