Official Statistics

Monthly monitoring of entry clearance visa applications, February 2025

Published 13 March 2025

Next update due: 10 April 2025

The visa application data in this release provides statistics on numbers of people with an intention to enter the UK for work, study and family reasons.

The statistics in this release are provisional. Final numbers will be published in the quarterly Home Office Immigration system statistics.

1. Work visas

1.1 Skilled work routes

Figure 1: Monthly applications for ‘Skilled Worker’ and ‘Health and Care Worker’ visas, January 2022 to February 2025

Figure 1 shows that the monthly number of Health and Care Worker visa applications from main applicants increased from 4,100 to 18,300 between February 2022 and August 2023, following the addition of care workers to the Shortage Occupation List.

Monthly applications subsequently fell to 2,400 in March 2024 and have remained broadly stable since. The falls seen since the latter part of 2023 are due to more scrutiny applied by the Home Office to employers in the health and social care sector, and compliance activity taken against employers of migrant workers, as well as the policy measures affecting care workers introduced in Spring 2024. There were 1,700 applications in February 2025.

Monthly applications for dependants on the Health and Care Worker route increased in-line with main applicants, peaking at 23,300 in August 2023. Applications for dependants decreased sharply between December 2023 and April 2024, and have continued to fall since, albeit at a slower rate. There were 3,700 applications in February 2025.

In contrast, the monthly number of Skilled Worker visa applications from main applicants were broadly stable between January 2022 and March 2024 at around 6,000 applications per month. Applications temporarily increased to 10,100 in April 2024, before returning to average levels in the following month and have gradually decreased since. There were 3,500 applications in February 2025.

Applications for dependants on the Skilled Worker route have largely followed the trend for main applicants. There were 3,700 applications in February 2025.

1.2 Temporary work routes

The main temporary work routes to the UK (the Youth Mobility Scheme and Seasonal Worker route) follow more seasonal patterns, typically peaking in Spring of each year. Individuals on these routes are ineligible to bring dependants.

There were 23,000 applications for Youth Mobility Scheme visas in the year ending February 2025, an 8% decrease compared to the year ending February 2024. Numbers in the last couple of years also include the addition of the India Young Professionals Scheme, which held its first ballot in February 2023. There is a maximum total allocation of places available for eligible nationals.

Seasonal Worker visas are also subject to an annual quota, which means that the number of applications have been broadly stable at 30,000 to 37,000 over the last few years. There were 36,800 applications for Seasonal Worker visas in the year ending February 2025, a 7% increase compared to the year ending February 2024.

2. Study visas

Figure 2: Monthly applications for ‘Sponsored study’ visas, January 2022 to February 2025

Sponsored study visas follow strong seasonal patterns, peaking in August (with a second smaller peak in December) of each year. Figure 2 shows that applications from Sponsored study visa main applicants in the year ending February 2025 (413,900) were 12% lower than the year ending February 2024.

There were 20,800 applications from dependants of students in the year ending February 2025, 86% fewer than the year ending December 2023. This followed the rule changes that came into effect in January 2024 which prevent students from bringing dependants, apart from those studying postgraduate research courses or courses with government-funded scholarships.

3. Family visas

Figure 3: Monthly applications for ‘Family’ visas, January 2022 to February 2025

Figure 3 shows that monthly numbers of Family visa applications increased from 7,500 in December 2023 to 12,700 in April 2024, following the announcement in December 2023 of the Family income requirements increasing. After the implementation of the policy in April 2024, numbers fell sharply, and were similar to 2023 levels in the second half of the year due to increases in Family Reunion visa applications (which allow partners and children of people with refugee status to come to the UK). There were 6,600 applications for Family visas in February 2025.

4. Data table

Data on monthly applications for ‘Skilled Worker’, ‘Health and Care Worker’, ‘Sponsored study’, ‘Family’, ‘Youth Mobility Scheme’ and ‘Seasonal Worker’ visas can be found in the following table:

• Monthly entry clearance visa applications: data tables, February 2025