How many people are coming to Britain on student visas?

Published

1 month ago

September 4, 2025

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In the few short years since Brexit, numerous rule changes have impacted the number and type of students coming to the UK.

In January 2023, Sami and his two children arrived from India as dependents of his wife, who was accepted to study on a master’s course in London.

They were among the 657,000 people granted student and dependant visas in the year to June 2023, the highest number in figures collected since 2006.

Nearly 200,000 of those – 28% of the total – were from India, making it the top nationality, followed by Nigeria and China. Together, these three nationalities accounted for two thirds of all student visas granted.

Sami – which is not his real name – claims that agents in India helped to create fake financial documents to secure the family’s visa approval, and that these were used in their application to the Home Office.

Sami also says his wife never intended to study.

While many of the students who arrive in the UK have legitimate documentation, it is impossible to know exactly how many do not – the Home Office collects figures on detected cases but does not publish them, while Sami’s case was allegedly undetected.

The number of student visas granted has since fallen by a third from its 2023 peak, to 436,000 in the latest figures for the year ending June 2025, though remains higher than the average 305,000 per year from 2012 to 2021.

In 2023, there were 154,000 visas granted for the dependents of students, for example partners and children – more than one dependant for every three main student visas granted. By 2025, the number of had fallen to 18,000.

This was largely driven by rule changes introduced by the Conservatives in January 2024, limiting students’ ability to bring dependents with them to the UK – meaning this option would now be closed to Sami’s family.

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New rules to prevent visa switching

Sami says he paid all his savings to agents in India who told him that he and his wife would easily be able to switch their visas when they arrived and pursue their dream of settling in the UK.

Indeed, from around 2019, the practice of visa switching became increasingly common with students more likely to move to a work or other visa either before their course finished or at the end of their studies. They were also more likely to stay in the UK for longer.

A quarter of international students who first came to study in 2019 were still in the UK five years later in 2024 with valid leave to remain – the highest proportion since the Home Office began keeping records in 2008.

Similarly, students who arrived in 2021 were far more likely to remain in the UK at the end of three years than their predecessors, increasing from around 34% from 2011 to 2018, to 59% by 2021.

And those who were still in the UK after three years were for the first time more likely to be working than still studying.

The Home Office says the increase can be explained by a larger number of students at master’s level transitioning to the graduate and other work routes.

Attempts by Sami and his family to switch visa have so far been unsuccessful, as their original visas were cancelled when his wife failed to register on her master’s course.

Rules brought in by Rishi Sunak’s government from July 2023 now prevent people from arriving on student visas switching to work ones before completing their studies.

Universities supported closing this “loophole”, says Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK International, as it was “not in the university’s interest if individuals come on a study visa and then leave their courses after three months”.

The government now plans to reduce the time that graduates can stay on to work after their studies from two years to 18 months.

Stricter rules are also in place from this month around visa refusal and course completion rates that universities must meet, with penalties for universities and sponsors that fail to meet targets.

“Effectively, the government is tightening regulation that already exists. That will be challenging for universities, and it will take time, but ultimately those changes are going to be implemented, and we’ve been working closely with government,” Mr Arrowsmith told Sky News.

Asylum claims

Sami and his family have applied for asylum and are currently awaiting a decision on their case, in the hope of securing valid leave to remain in the UK.

Sami has told us he wants to be able to work in the UK, but as he is currently without a valid visa or asylum, he’s not legally allowed to.

The family were assessed as destitute by social services and received support from council and charities.

The number of asylum claims from people who originally arrived on student visas has increased more than those on other visa types in recent years, with 14,800 asylum claims in the year ending June 2025, though down from a peak of 16,500 in the year to June 2023.

For every 50 student visas granted between 2021 and 2025, one person applied for asylum who had originally held a student visa.

There isn’t data available on the proportion of those claims that were successful.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said she wants to “clamp down” on people claiming asylum at the end of their study visa, and the government is actively contacting international students to warn them not to overstay their visa.

In the year to June 2025, 10,441 people were returned voluntarily, or forcibly removed, who had previously applied for asylum, though not all of those would have applied for asylum within that year.

Universities rely on international fees

Fee income from international students has been an important part of universities’ funding models since 2018/19, says Mr Arrowsmith, as successive governments have chosen not to increase student funding in line with inflation.

This has meant that universities have had to make up the shortfall in other ways, which has been mostly through international student fee income.

Foreign students’ fees contributed 23% of universities total income in 2023/24, at £12.1bn, increasing from 16% of university income in 2018/19.

“We have seen a decline in the last two years of the number of international students coming to the UK, and that does pose challenges for finances of UK universities,” Mr Arrowsmith said.

“Ultimately what we need is a more sustainable funding settlement for our universities”.

The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.

UK

‘Victory for Virginia’, says family of Prince Andrew’s accuser – as royal gives up all his titles

Published

8 hours ago

October 18, 2025

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'Victory for Virginia', says family of Prince Andrew's accuser - as royal gives up all his titles

The family of Virginia Giuffre has said Prince Andrew’s decision to give up his titles, including the Duke of York, is “vindication for our sister and survivors everywhere”.

“This is not just a victory for her, but for every single survivor of the horrific crimes perpetrated by [Jeffrey] Epstein and his co-conspirators,” they said in a statement.

Andrew will no longer be known as the Duke of York, in a move which finally completes his banishment from royal life. However, he will remain a prince, as the son of Queen Elizabeth II.

His former wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also no longer use her title of The Duchess of York, it is understood.

In a statement, Prince Andrew said: “In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.

“I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.

“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me.

“As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”

Why is this happening now?

The decision comes following increased pressure on Prince Andrew after continuing reports of his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, and his relationship with an alleged Chinese spy.

The posthumous memoir of Virginia Giuffre, who died in April, is due to be released on Tuesday. She had accused Andrew of sexual assault, and sued him in August 2021.

The book will go on sale a week after an email emerged showing Andrew told Epstein “we are in this together”, three months after he said he had stopped contact with the convicted sex offender.

On Friday evening, the US House Oversight Committee also released documents from Epstein’s estate showing “Prince Andrew” listed as a passenger on the financier’s private jet – the so-called Lolita Express – from Luton to Edinburgh in 2006, alongside Ghislaine Maxwell.

He was also listed on another flight to West Palm Beach, Florida, in 2000.

The flight logs have been reported on for years but the release may have added to pressure.

“The situation has become untenable and intolerable, and this week in particular, the tipping point had been reached,” said Sky News royal correspondent Laura Bundock.

What is Prince Andrew giving up?

Prince Andrew is giving up his Duke of York title
His knighthood as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO)
His Garter role as a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter
Christmas with the Royal Family at Sandringham
He had already stopped using his HRH title and and was stripped of military patronages by the Queen in 2022
He will retain his dukedom, which can only be removed by an Act of Parliament, but will not use it
He will also remain a prince as he was born the son of Elizabeth II

It is understood the changes will take effect immediately, with the Giuffre family calling for the King to go further and “remove the title of Prince”.

King ‘glad’ of the outcome

The King is glad of the outcome, it is understood, and the decision was taken in close consultation with His Majesty and other members of the Royal Family.

Andrew will continue to be known as Prince Andrew and will remain living at the Windsor Estate at the Royal Lodge.

The move does not impact the position of his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

For the second year running, he is not expected to attend the Royal Family’s annual Christmas celebrations at Sandringham.

‘An unwelcome distraction’

Sky News royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills said: “This is quite an extraordinary move. I think it shows that, actually, things had gone too far.

“Prince Andrew, and allegations about him and Virginia Giuffre, were continuing to be too much of a distraction for the Royal Family.”

Jack Royston, chief royal correspondent at Newsweek, told Sky News: “This does not go far enough.”

There should be an acknowledgement from the Royal Family, he said, “irrespective of whether Prince Andrew denies the substantive allegations against him [that] it was morally wrong for him to grovel to Jeffrey Epstein”.

The Guardian’s former royal correspondent Stephen Bates also told Sky News: “He’s shown no sign of any sort of contrition. He continues to deny all the allegations against him. And he speaks of his duty to the family. Well, it’s a bit late to be thinking about that.”

What is Prince Andrew accused of?

Prince Andrew has denied allegations made by Ms Giuffre – one of Epstein’s victims – of sexual assault.

She had filed a civil lawsuit against him, accusing him of sexually assaulting her on three occasions after she was introduced to him by Epstein.

In a 2019 interview with BBC Newsnight, Andrew said he had no knowledge of ever meeting Ms Giuffre, claiming a well-known image of them together had been doctored.

The case was settled outside court for a sum believed to have been around £12m.

Following Ms Giuffre’s death in April, aged 41, her family said she “lost her life to suicide” at her farm in Western Australia.

Giuffre’s family: ‘Victory for Virginia’

In a statement, the family of Ms Giuffre said they supported Andrew’s decision but repeated accusations that he had made misleading statements. Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Analysis: Prince Andrew giving up titles was clearly not entirely his decision

It is extraordinary that it has come to this but the distraction had to stop.

The statement comes straight from Prince Andrew, the tone of it very personal as he says he is putting his “duty to my family and country first”.

But this was clearly not entirely his decision.

From the first sentence, where he says “in discussion with the King”, we’re left in no doubt that his brother must have said enough was enough.

UK

Prince Andrew giving up titles was clearly not entirely his decision

Published

8 hours ago

October 18, 2025

admin

Prince Andrew giving up titles was clearly not entirely his decision

It is extraordinary that it has come to this but the distraction had to stop.

The statement comes straight from Prince Andrew, the tone of it very personal as he says he is putting his “duty to my family and country first”.

But this was clearly not entirely his decision.

From the first sentence, where he says “in discussion with the King”, we’re left in no doubt his brother must have said enough was enough.

The fact we’re being guided that the King is glad of this outcome says it all; for the monarch and the wider family, the questions of what they were going to do about Andrew had to stop.

After years of upset caused by his association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, he has done the family one favour by personally announcing that he will no longer use his titles.

For the King to forcibly remove them would have taken up precious parliamentary time and weeks of column inches.

To be clear, his titles aren’t removed, they remain extant but inactive like his HRH title.

But Andrew won’t use them any more, and that will be humiliation enough for a man who has already been stripped of his military affiliations, his charity patronages and his ability to have any kind of public profile.

This ends the questions on what more the monarch could do to show how the family felt about the accusations, the upset and the embarrassment caused.

Will it stop the stories, the allegations and the interest in Prince Andrew? That is far less certain.

But in what is his first public statement since that ill-fated Newsnight interview in 2019, it is striking that he signs it off by saying: “I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”

UK

Everything we know about Prince Andrew’s titles decision

Published

8 hours ago

October 18, 2025

admin

Everything we know about Prince Andrew's titles decision

Prince Andrew has announced he is giving up his royal titles, including the Duke of York.

The decision is understood to have been made in close consultation with King Charles and other members of the Royal Family.

Prince Andrew said continued accusations against him were distracting from the King’s work.

He had been accused by Virginia Giuffre, who died in April, of sexual assault. He denies this.

Which titles is he giving up?

Prince Andrew is giving up his Duke of York title. Sky News understands this will be immediate.

He will also give up his knighthood as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) and his Garter role as a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

He will retain the dukedom, which can only be removed by an Act of Parliament, but will not use it.

Prince Andrew will also remain a prince, as the son of Queen Elizabeth II.

Why is this happening now?

Ms Giuffre, who was one of billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, alleged Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17, and sued him in 2021.

In her posthumous memoir Nobody’s Girl, due to be published on Tuesday, she alleged he was “entitled” and “believed having sex with me was his birthright”.

Prince Andrew has always denied the allegations.

He has also always claimed that a well-known image of them together was doctored. Before her death, which her family said was by suicide, the case was settled outside of court for a sum believed to have been around £12m.

Ms Giuffre’s posthumous memoir goes on sale a week after an email emerged showing Andrew told Epstein “we are in this together”.

The email was reportedly sent three months after he said he had stopped contact with the convicted sex offender.

He was also listed on another flight to West Palm Beach, Florida, in 2000.

The flight logs have been reported on for years but the release may have added to pressure.

“The situation has become untenable and intolerable, and this week in particular, the tipping point had been reached,” said royal correspondent Laura Bundock.

It is understood that the changes will take effect immediately.

The Giuffre family has called for the King to go further and “remove the title of Prince”.

Prince Andrew’s decision to relinquish his titles also comes following increased pressure over his relationship with an alleged Chinese spy.

Will this affect his ex-wife and daughters?

Sky News understands that Andrew will continue to live at the Windsor Estate at the Royal Lodge. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also remain living at the Royal Lodge.

But for the second year running, he will not attend the Royal Family’s annual Christmas celebrations at Sandringham, it is understood.

Andrew’s ex-wife will also no longer use her Duchess of York title.

She was dropped by numerous charities last month after it emerged that she wrote to convicted sex offender Epstein, calling him a “supreme friend”, despite publicly disowning him in the media.

The decision over Andrew’s titles will not impact on the position of his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, it is understood.

Sky News royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills says the move may not stop the influx of negative stories about him.

She said: “This ends the questions on what more the monarch could do to show how the family felt about the accusations, the upset and the embarrassment caused.

“Will it stop the stories, the allegations and the interest in Prince Andrew? That is far less certain. But in what is the prince’s first public statement since that ill-fated Newsnight interview in 2019, it is striking that he signs it off by saying, ‘I vigorously deny the accusations against me’.”

What did Prince Andrew say in his statement?

In his statement, Prince Andrew said: “In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.

“I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.

“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me.

“As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”