There were an estimated 125 million passenger arrivals from outside the Common Travel Area (CTA) in the year ending June 2023 (including returning UK residents). This was almost twice (+79%) as many as in the year ending June 2022 (70 million), when UK and global travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic were still in place. The latest passenger arrivals number is over four-fifths (85%) of the total number of arrivals in 2019 (146 million), the period immediately before the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to the home office, there were 3,287,404 visas granted in the year ending June 2023, 58% higher than the year ending June 2022. This was primarily due to 889,821 (+96%) more grants of visitor visas, but also due to more grants for:

• work visas (including dependants), up 208,295 (+63%) to 538,887
• study visas (including dependants), up 165,968 (+34%) to 657,208, including sponsored and short-term students

There have been a total of 182,600 applications for the BN(O) route since its introduction on 31 January 2021 up to the end of June 2023.

There have been a total of 147,649 grants of out of country BN(O) visas since its introduction on 31 January 2021 to the end of June 2023, and 123,800 people have arrived in the UK on the scheme since it began. There were 8,647 grants of out of country BN(O) visas in the latest quarter, April to June 2023. 10,300 people arrived during this quarter.

There have been a total of 28,758 grants of in-country BN(O) visas since its introduction on 31 January 2021 up to the end of June 2023. There were 1,460 grants of in-country BN(O) visas in the latest quarter, April to June 2023.

Top four motives, “Why do people come to the UK”?

Work

There were 321,101 grants to main applicants on work visas, 45% higher than in the year ending June 2022, largely due to increases in the ‘Skilled Worker’ visas.

‘Skilled Worker’ visa grants have increased by 34% (+17,610) in the past year to 69,421. ‘Skilled Worker – Health and Care’ visa grants have increased over two and a half times (+157% or +74,096) to 121,290 compared with the previous year

The latest increase is in part due to the expansion in late 2021 for ‘Care Workers and Home Carers’ and ‘Senior Care Workers’. In the year ending June 2023, ‘Care Workers and Home Carers’ comprised around 50% of visas granted under the ‘Health and Care’ visa category.

Indian nationals were the highest nationality granted on both these routes.

Study

In the year ending June 2023, there were 498,626 sponsored study visas issued to main applicants, 23% more than in the year ending June 2022.

There were 142,848 grants to Indian nationals, an increase of 49,883 (+54%) compared to year ending June 2022. Chinese nationals were the second most common nationality granted sponsored study visas in the year ending June 2023, with 107,670 visas granted.

The vast majority of Certificate of Acceptance (CAS) used (91%) were for sponsored study at higher education (university) institutions, with the total divided between:

• a) higher education (91%)
• b) tertiary, further education and other colleges (4%)
• c) independent schools (3%)
• d) English language schools (2%)
• e) other (1%)

Almost a quarter (24%) of all sponsored study related visas granted were to dependants of students (154,063), compared to 17% (80,846) in the year ending June 2022.

Sponsorship licensing for work and study

At the end of June 2023, there were around 69,500 organisations and institutions registered as licensed sponsors for work and study.

Home Office management information indicates that there were 9,153 decisions on applications for sponsor licences between April to June 2023, 40% more than in April to June 2022 (6,555). Of these, 7,060 licenses were granted and 2,093 applications were not granted (including both applications withdrawn and those rejected).

This data also shows that there were 32,893 decisions made in the year ending June 2023, compared to 20,869 in the year ending June 2022. Of the 32,893 decisions, 25,440 licences were granted (70% higher than the year before) and 7,453 were not granted (including both applications withdrawn and those rejected).

Family

There were 75,717 family-related visas granted in the year ending June 2023, more than double (110% more) the number in the year ending June 2022, primarily driven by an increase in family-related visas granted to partners; 80% of family-related visas granted in the year ending June 2023 were to partners, with the remainder being for children or other dependants.

28,986 EU Settlement Scheme permits were issued in the year ending June 2023 to family members of people from the EU, European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland, granted or eligible for settled or pre-settled status through the EUSS on the basis of residence in the UK before the end of the transition period. A total of 124,484 visas have been issued under this scheme since it opened in March 2019. This includes both EUSS family and travel permits.