Why do people come to the UK? To study
Updated 18 June 2021
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Data relate to the year ending March 2021 and all comparisons are with the year ending March 2020, unless indicated otherwise.
On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic. A range of restrictions were implemented in many parts of the world, and the first UK lockdown measures were announced on 23 March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the UK immigration system, both in terms of restricting migrant movements to and from the UK and the impact on operational capacity.
Year ending comparisons that follow will reflect the restrictions in place during this period of the pandemic.
This section contains data on:
- Sponsored study visas
- Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) by education sector
- Short-term students
1. Immigration for study
In the year ending March 2021, there were more than a quarter of a million (250,683) Sponsored study visas granted (including dependants), a 16% decrease compared to the previous year. Of the 250,683 sponsored visas granted, 164,373 (66%) were under Tier 4 rules and 86,310 (34%) were under the new Student and Child Student routes introduced on the 5th October 2020.
Figure 1: Number of Tier 4 (Sponsored study) visas granted, by month, 2019, 2020 and 2021
Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes – Vis_D02
Figure 1 shows that there were no Sponsored study grants in April and May 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the following months, grants started to recover but remained much lower than the previous year until a resurgence in September 2020. From September, Sponsored study grants were consistently higher for each month in the year ending March 2021 compared to the previous year. This is likely a result of applications and grants being displaced from April to August into later months.
Chinese nationals were the most common nationality granted Sponsored study visas in the year ending March 2021, accounting for 35% of the total. However, the number of grants to Chinese nationals (87,611) was 26% lower than the previous year. Chinese Students comprised almost two thirds (65%) of the overall decrease in Sponsored study visas in the year ending March 2021. COVID-19 restrictions were implemented early in China, from January 2020, and may have disproportionately affected Chinese students.
While many nationalities saw decreases in Sponsored study grants, some experienced substantial increases. Nigerian nationals saw an 83% increase in Sponsored Study grants compared to the previous year, increasing to a high of 17,423, placing them at the 3rd highest nationality for Sponsored study visas this year. There was a 6,391 increase in the number of grants to Indian nationals, to 56,093. Indian nationals remain the nationality with the 2nd highest number of Sponsored study visa grants. Together Indian and Chinese nationals comprise more than half (57%) of all Sponsored study grants.
Table 1: Top 5 nationalities1 granted Sponsored study visas, year ending March 2020 and March 2021
| Nationality | Year ending March 2020 | Year ending March 2021 | Change | Percentage change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 118,386 | 87,611 | -30,775 | -26% |
| India | 49,702 | 56,093 | +6,391 | +13% |
| Nigeria | 9,520 | 17,423 | +7,903 | +83% |
| Hong Kong | 9,241 | 8,726 | -515 | -6% |
| Pakistan | 5,720 | 8,670 | +2,950 | 52% |
| Other nationalities | 105,690 | 72,160 | -33,530 | -32% |
| Total | 298,259 | 250,683 | -47,576 | -16% |
Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes Vis_D02
Notes:
- Top 5 nationalities in the most recent year.
- ‘Other nationalities’ includes all nationalities that don’t feature in the top 5 in the latest year.
While grants of Sponsored study visas saw an overall decrease, grants to dependants increased by 30%, from 18,472 to 23,887. Those coming on Sponsored study visas bring relatively few dependants, with 90% of the visas issued being to main applicants, compared with 66% for Work visas. It therefore appears likely that the pandemic impacted less on those coming with dependants, perhaps in part because their plans entailed commitments that were more difficult to change quickly. In the year ending March 2021, three nationalities accounted for more than two thirds (71%) of Sponsored study dependants: India (39%), Nigeria (24%), and Saudi Arabia (9%).
In addition to those coming on sponsored visas, there were 6,162 Short-term study visas granted in the year ending March 2021, 95% (111,252) fewer compared to the previous year. The reduction is similar to falls in visitor numbers and the majority of this decrease is likely due to COVID-19. Not every person will require a visa for short-term study in the UK; for example, US nationals coming for shorter periods of study who are permitted to study whilst on a visit visa and will not be included in the number of short-term study visas.
In August 2020, the Home Office published its ‘Fifth report on statistics relating to exit checks’, which showed that the vast majority (97%) of those with Sponsored study (Tier 4) visas expiring in the year ending March 2020, were known to have departed from the UK before their visa expired.
In 2020, 37,873 former Tier 4 visa holders extended their leave in the UK, either for further study or to remain in the UK for other reasons, such as for marriage or work.
1.1 The effects of new rules on the immigration system (study)
From the 1st of January 2021, changes in the immigration rules mean that EEA and Swiss (excluding Irish) nationals require a visa to study in the UK. In Q1 2021, there were 290 Sponsored study visa grants to EEA students, comprising 1% of the total. This is a modest number compared to work visas, which saw 3,462 work visas granted to EEA nationals in the same period, at 9% of the total. However, study visa applications fluctuate heavily with respect to the academic year, with the majority of grants in each year occurring in Q3 (July-September). Italian students were the EEA nationality with the highest number of Sponsored Study grants (56) in Q1 2021, followed by Germany (41) and France (36). Together they made up just under half (46%) of all EEA grants in this period.
1.2 Long-term trends in student immigration
Sponsored study grants maintained broadly consistent around 225,000 from the YE March 2012 to the YE September 2018. From the YE September 2018 to the YE March 2020 sponsored study grants increased to a high of almost 300,000. This was followed by a sharp decrease due to COVID-19, with the YE September 2020 showing the lowest number of sponsored study grants on record. Grants proceeded to recover after this period, and now sit at just over 250,000 in the YE March 2021.
Figure 2: Sponsored study visa grants, year ending March 2012 to 2021
Source: Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes – Vis_D02
1.3 Sponsored study visa applications
In the year ending March 2021, applications for study visas using sponsor acceptances (Certificates of Acceptance for Study; CAS) stood at 211,574. This figure underestimates the actual total due to data quality issues from Q1 2020 (see section 2.4 for details). A complete breakdown of the visas, extensions and unknown cases can be found in the detailed study sponsorship tables. The vast majority of visas (93%) were for study at higher education (university) institutions.
The vast majority (93%) of these were for study at higher education (university) institutions. Sponsored study visa applications were made for the following sectors:
- Higher education (93%)
- Independent schools (3%)
- Further education (2%)
- English language schools (2%)
- Other (<1%)
Data quality issues from Q1 2020 do not allow an accurate time series of study applications per sector, however as the majority of study visa applications and grants are for study at Higher Education institutions then Figure 2 provides an estimate of the trend for Higher Education study grants.
The most recent Higher Education Statistics Authority’s (HESA) student statistics report, for the 2019 to 2020 academic year, reported a 5% increase in all first-year student enrolments in 2019/20, compared to the previous year. The rise was driven by a 23% increase in the number of new non-EU students, while EU and UK-domiciled student enrolments were roughly stable (EU down 2%; UK up 1%). These statistics however relate to the period preceding the pandemic.
2. About these statistics
The statistics in this section provide an indication of the number of people who have an intention to enter the UK for study reasons.
Before 2021, due to European Union (EU) freedom of movement principles, the majority of UK immigration control related to non-European Economic Area (EEA) nationals. From 2021, unless otherwise stated, data in this release relate to both EEA and non-EEA nationals.
Entry clearance visas allow an individual to enter and stay in the UK within the period for which the visa is valid. Data in this section refer to the number of Entry clearance visas granted for study reasons within the period. If an individual was granted a visa more than once in a given period, this has been counted as multiple grants in the statistics. If an individual entered the UK multiple times within the period for which a visa was valid, this has been counted as one grant in the visa statistics.
The data do not show whether, or when, an individual arrived in the UK, what they did on arrival or how long they stayed in the UK.
Year-on-year comparisons of the number of decisions can be affected by quarterly fluctuations in the data. These fluctuations can be examined in the quarterly data in the published tables.
2.1 Student (Sponsored study)
The Student visa has replaced the Tier 4 (General) Student visa as of 5th October 2020. It provides a route for students over the age of 16 to study with an approved education provider in the UK.
2.2 Child Student (Sponsored study)
The Child student visa has replaced the Tier 4 (Child) Student visa as of 5th October 2020. It provides a route for students between the ages of 4 and 17 years old to study at an approved independent school in the UK.
2.3 Tier 4 (Sponsored study)
Tier 4 (Sponsored study) provides a route for students to study with an approved education provider. It was implemented from 31 March 2009, replacing previous entry routes for study. It has been discontinued since 5th October 2020 and has been replaced with the Student and Child student routes.
2.4 Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)
From Q4 2019, the method for extracting in-country and out-of-country CAS data has changed. Data quality issues identified as part of this change in methodology has meant that some cases from Q1 2020 onwards are unable to be separately identified as either a visa or extension case, and so have been categorised as ‘unknown’.
To apply for a Student visa or for an extension of stay as a student (sponsored), individuals must use a CAS from a sponsoring educational institution. Study visas applied for with a CAS are also referred to as ‘Sponsored visa applications’. Statistics relating to sponsored acceptances for study measure the number of successful sponsorship applications in the four main educational sectors: universities (higher education), further education, independent schools and English language schools.
2.5 Short-term study
The Short-term study visa (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). Individuals with this visa cannot extend their stay. Admissions data shows considerably more Short-term student admissions from non-EEA nationals than Short-term student visas granted. This is due to many student visitor admissions being from nationalities 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 (such as US nationals).
2.6 Other sources
Until 2020, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published long-term international migration (LTIM) estimates in its ‘Migration Statistics Quarterly Report’ (latest data available is for the year ending March 2020). The ONS are currently reviewing their methods for measuring population and migration; see their blog post for more information on the latest developments to ONS population and migration data.
In January 2021, HESA published its latest ‘Higher Education Student Statistics UK’ for the academic year 2019 to 2020. HESA publishes data on new entrants to UK higher education providers for both EEA and non-EEA nationals.
3. Data tables
Data on student immigration can be found in the following tables:
- Sponsorship summary tables
- Detailed sponsorship datasets
- Entry clearance visas summary tables
- Detailed Entry clearance visas datasets
- Admissions summary tables
- Extensions tables
- Detailed extensions datasets
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