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Why do people come to the UK? (3) To study

Published 24 May 2018

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2018/why-do-people-come-to-the-uk-3-to-study

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Data relate to the year ending March 2018 and all comparisons are with the year ending March 2017, unless indicated otherwise.

This section contains data on:

  • Study-related Entry clearance visas
  • Sponsored Study visa applications by education sector
  • Short-term students

We provide a more detailed commentary on an annual basis. This is included in ‘Immigration Statistics, April to June 2017’.

In January 2018, the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) published its latest ‘Higher Education Student Statistics UK’, for the academic year 2016 to 2017. HESA publishes data on new entrants to UK higher education providers.

1. Key facts

In the year ending March 2018, there were 223,839 Tier 4 Study-related visas granted, a 7% increase on the previous year.

Over the same period, the number of University-sponsored study visa applications rose 6% to 178,612. This included an 8% increase for Russell Group universities to 87,175.

Three nationalities (Chinese, Indian and US) accounted for over half (53%) of the 223,839 Study-related visas granted in the year ending March 2018, with the largest number granted to Chinese nationals (88,657, or 40% of the total).

There were notable increases in the number of Study-related visas granted to:

  • Chinese nationals, up 11,381 (15%) to 88,657
  • Indian nationals, up 3,530 (30%) to 15,171

2. Immigration for study

Aside from Visitors, the most common visa granted was for Study (8% of all visas granted, and 36% of all non-visit visas).

The number of Tier 4 (Study-related) visas granted in the year ending March 2018 increased by 7% compared with the previous year.

Year ending March 2017 Year ending March 2018 Change Percentage change
Tier 4 (Study-related) visas1 208,812 223,839 +15,027 +7%
Short-term study visas2 89,882 108,780 +18,898 +21%

Source:

Table vi 01 q (Entry clearance visas tables, volume 1)

Table notes:

  1. Includes all Tier 4 and pre-PBS equivalent visas of all lengths, covering Tier 4 – General, Tier 4 – Child, Students and Trainees – doctors and dentists categories.
  2. The Short-term study category (previously described as Student visitor) allows individuals 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 (further details at Short-term study visa). For consistency and comparability over time, Short-term study visas have been excluded from Study-related totals.
Year ending March 2017 Year ending March 2018 Change Percentage change
China 77,276 88,657 +11,381 +15%
India 11,641 15,171 +3,530 +30%
United States 14,264 14,856 +592 +4%
Hong Kong 9,041 9,218 +177 +2%
Saudi Arabia 8,485 7,807 -678 -8%

Source:

Table vi 06 q (Entry clearance visas tables, volume 2)

Table note:

  1. The Short-term study category (previously described as Student visitor) allows individuals 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 (see further details of Short-term study visas). For consistency and comparability over time, Short-term study visas have been excluded from study-related totals.

The nationalities with the largest increase in the number of Study-related visas granted were:

  • Chinese nationals, up 11,381 (+15%) to 88,657
  • Indian nationals, up 3,530 (+30%) to 15,171
  • Pakistani nationals, up 637 (+18%) to 4,236
  • US nationals, up 592 (+4%) to 14,856

The nationalities with the largest decrease in the number of Study-related visas granted were:

  • Indonesian nationals, down 910 (-28%) to 2,324
  • Saudi Arabian nationals, down 678 (-8%) to 7,807
  • Malaysian nationals, down 400 (-5%) to 7,647

For the academic year 2016 to 2017, HESA reported a 7% increase in the number of new entrants from India and China into higher education institutions, but no change overall in the total number of non-EU new entrants.

The chart shows the trends for Study of visas granted. The data are sourced from Table vi 04 q and corresponding datasets.

Source:

Table vi 04 q (Entry clearance visas tables, volume 1).

Chart note:

  1. ‘All study-related visas’ includes long-term study, dependants of those coming on long-term Study visas, and those granted Study visas for less than a year, and excludes short-term Study visas. A proportion of Tier 4 Student visas are also short-term (under 1 year), but are not included within the Short-term students category (see ‘Entry clearance visas by length’ for details).

In the year ending March 2018, the number of Study-related sponsored visa applications (main applicants) rose 6% to 213,277, compared with 202,040 in the previous year. This included:

  • a 6% rise in sponsored visa applications for the University sector as a whole (to 178,612), made up of an 8% increase for Russell Group universities (to 87,175) and a 4% rise for other universities (to 91,437)
  • a 2% increase for the Independent school sector (to 13,656)
  • a 35% increase for English language schools (to 3,983)
  • a 1% fall for the Further education sector (to 14,452)

Most of the fall in the Further education sector’s sponsored visa applications since the peak in mid-2011 has been accounted for by licences issued to sponsors which have since been revoked.

The chart shows the trends in confirmations of acceptance of studies used in applications for visas by Education sector. The University sector rose 6% (Russell Group up 8%; other universities up 4%). The chart is based on data in Table cs 09 q.

Source:

Table cs 09 q (Sponsorship tables).

Chart notes:

  1. ‘Universities’ relate to UK-based higher education institutions.
  2. ‘Further education’ relates to tertiary, further education or other colleges.

4. Short-term students

There were 208,000 Short-term student admissions for non-EEA nationals in the year ending June 2017 (latest available data by purpose of journey), much higher than the numbers of Short-term student visas granted (103,456 over the same period). This is due to many student visitor admissions being from nationalities (such as the US) that are not required to obtain a visa if they wish to come to the UK as a short-term student for 6 months or less.

5. Data tables

Data on student immigration can be found in the following tables:

Sponsorship tables
Visas tables volume 1
Visas tables volume 2
Visas tables volume 3
Admissions tables
Extensions tables

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