AgenciesIndians granted visas to study in the UK fell further this year, continuing a downward trend, according to new Home Office data released on Thursday. A total of 98,014 Indian students were issued visas in the year ending June 2025, second only to Chinese students at 99,919. Both groups recorded a fall compared to last year, with Indian numbers down 11 per cent and Chinese numbers down seven per cent.
The statistics show that most Indian students are pursuing postgraduate courses. “The trend in sponsored study visas in recent years has been mainly driven by those coming to study for a Master’s... In the year ending March 2025, four out of five (81%) Indian students came to the UK to study for a Master’s level qualification, compared to just over half (59%) of Chinese students,” the Home Office stated.
The release also highlighted immigration detention figures, noting a sharp rise in Indian nationals detained for immigration breaches. According to the data, 2,715 Indians were logged in detention, nearly double the number from last year. “Albanians have been the most common nationality entering detention since 2022, but their numbers have been falling; numbers of Brazilian and Indian nationals have both doubled in the last year (up 91 per cent and 108 per cent respectively),” the Home Office said.
At the same time, asylum claims in the UK reached 111,000 in the year to June 2025, the highest since records began in 1979. The asylum system has been under pressure following a court ruling against the government’s use of hotels to house claimants. Opposition parties have demanded faster deportations.
Overall immigration dropped by 30 per cent compared with the previous year, mainly due to a sharp fall in work visas, a category dominated by Indian workers. “We are bringing legal migration back under control, with a 48 per cent reduction in work visas this year – and further stronger visa controls and higher skill requirements introduced through our White Paper expected to bring those overall numbers down further,” said UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford noted that asylum applications from people arriving initially on study or work visas have risen since Brexit. Pakistanis and Bangladeshis topped this category, while Indians were ranked sixth. “There are several potential explanations for recent increases in asylum applications, although there isn’t enough evidence to be sure which have been most important. They include the intensification of smuggling activity (especially across the English Channel), larger numbers of people claiming asylum after arriving on visas, a larger number of pending and recently refused asylum seekers in Europe,” said Dr Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory.
Overall visa grants fell by 403,000, or 32 per cent, over the year, largely due to restrictions on dependents of students and skilled workers. “It’s possible we’ll see further declines in the coming months – though probably smaller ones – as the data catches up with more recent restrictions like the closure of the care worker route to overseas recruitment,” said Dr Ben Brindle, researcher at the Migration Observatory.
The statistics show that most Indian students are pursuing postgraduate courses. “The trend in sponsored study visas in recent years has been mainly driven by those coming to study for a Master’s... In the year ending March 2025, four out of five (81%) Indian students came to the UK to study for a Master’s level qualification, compared to just over half (59%) of Chinese students,” the Home Office stated.
The release also highlighted immigration detention figures, noting a sharp rise in Indian nationals detained for immigration breaches. According to the data, 2,715 Indians were logged in detention, nearly double the number from last year. “Albanians have been the most common nationality entering detention since 2022, but their numbers have been falling; numbers of Brazilian and Indian nationals have both doubled in the last year (up 91 per cent and 108 per cent respectively),” the Home Office said.
At the same time, asylum claims in the UK reached 111,000 in the year to June 2025, the highest since records began in 1979. The asylum system has been under pressure following a court ruling against the government’s use of hotels to house claimants. Opposition parties have demanded faster deportations.
Overall immigration dropped by 30 per cent compared with the previous year, mainly due to a sharp fall in work visas, a category dominated by Indian workers. “We are bringing legal migration back under control, with a 48 per cent reduction in work visas this year – and further stronger visa controls and higher skill requirements introduced through our White Paper expected to bring those overall numbers down further,” said UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford noted that asylum applications from people arriving initially on study or work visas have risen since Brexit. Pakistanis and Bangladeshis topped this category, while Indians were ranked sixth. “There are several potential explanations for recent increases in asylum applications, although there isn’t enough evidence to be sure which have been most important. They include the intensification of smuggling activity (especially across the English Channel), larger numbers of people claiming asylum after arriving on visas, a larger number of pending and recently refused asylum seekers in Europe,” said Dr Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory.
Overall visa grants fell by 403,000, or 32 per cent, over the year, largely due to restrictions on dependents of students and skilled workers. “It’s possible we’ll see further declines in the coming months – though probably smaller ones – as the data catches up with more recent restrictions like the closure of the care worker route to overseas recruitment,” said Dr Ben Brindle, researcher at the Migration Observatory.
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