The UK issued over 432,000 sponsored pupil visas to primary candidates worldwide college students within the yr ending 2024 – 13% decrease than the identical interval final yr, in accordance with the report by ApplyBoard.
The report known as for establishments to deal with recruiting from the rising pupil populations, because the restriction on dependants continues to lead to a decline in worldwide college students.
It mentioned Nepal is poised to change the worldwide pupil panorama throughout the globe, and its college students “are certainly showing a strong interest in the UK”.
Supply: ApplyBoard
The variety of Indian college students within the UK declined by 23% yr on yr whereas there was a 46% decline in Nigerian college students getting examine visas for the yr ending in June.
Regardless of these findings, from January to June 2024, Pakistani and Nepalese pupil demand grew by over 30% every in comparison with the identical interval the earlier yr.
Practically 34,000 Pakistani college students had been issued a examine visa, surpassing Nigeria to change into the UK’s third largest supply of worldwide college students.
ApplyBoard mentioned the dip in general examine visas being issued is “likely only the tip of the iceberg” as the vast majority of examine visas are issued throughout the third quarter when the brand new educational yr begins, making the following couple of months “pivotal”.
Visa refusal charges remained low, with solely 4% of primary candidates refused a sponsored examine visa for the yr ending June 2024, in accordance with the report.
“Refusals, then, played only a minimal role in the overall dip in student visas,” the report mentioned.
It highlighted that there’s been a “tremendous spoke in withdrawn applications” because the UK introduced a coverage banning masters taught worldwide college students from bringing dependents into the nation with them was introduced.
Vacation spot markets don’t function in a vacuum—we’ve seen again and again how insurance policies in a single nation can push or pull pupil inflows from one other
ApplyBoard
Over 6,000 primary candidates withdrew their sponsored examine visa functions throughout this era – a rise of 279% over the identical interval in 2023.
Moreover, the report highlighted that Australia’s new worldwide pupil cap may present the UK’s worldwide training sector with the potential for “positive momentum”.
“Vacation spot markets don’t function in a vacuum—we’ve seen again and again how insurance policies in a single nation can push or pull pupil inflows from one other.
“The UK benefited when Australia’s borders were closed for two years in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, so it would not surprise us to see a renewed spike in interest for UK institutions due to the forthcoming Australian cap,” the report mentioned.
