Changes in UK Visa Services

Immigration Drives Up UK Population At Fastest Rate in 50 Years

Latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has revealed the fasted population growth in the UK for 50 years.

The population of the UK reached 68.3 million in the middle of 2023, representing a 1% overall growth since the middle of 2022.

This rise has been attributed to overall increasing net migration levels. Corresponding data from the ONS has also demonstrated a sharp increase in UK visa applications, especially in the Work visa category.

However, net migration levels are expected to return to more normal levels in 2024 data.

Decline in UK Student Visa Applications

Latest figures from the Home Office have shown that there has been a noticeable decline in Student visa applications from foreign students.

There was a 16% drop in applications between July and September in 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.

Applications for family members of international students also dropped by 89%, after new rules brought in this year restricting international students’ ability to bring dependent family members with them to the UK.

The statistics have caused concern among UK universities, many of which are heavily dependent on the income from foreign students. There have also been calls for the UK government to offer bailouts to higher education institutions that are struggling financially.

Migrant Care Workers Charter Launched to Protect Foreign Workers’ Rights in UK

Foreign care workers and the trade union Unison have teamed up to launch the Migrant Care Workers Charter, which will protect the rights of foreign workers in the UK.

The charter has been written to help crack down on the exploitation of foreign care workers, particularly those who may be left in vulnerable or precarious positions if they lose their status in the UK.

The charter has been backed and signed by Salford City Council, who are one of the organisations committed to identifying or acting as an “employer of last resort” to help workers who have been victimised or lost a job through no fault of their own to stay in the UK.

Concerns have been raised in recent years over the rise in exploitation of foreign workers. These have included cases where workers have paid thousands of pounds to fraudulent recruiters to find that there was no work available for them in the UK, and employers who fail to provide adequate accommodation or salary provisions.

The mayor of Salford, Paul Dennett, commented: “I hope many other local authorities across the country, especially Labour-controlled ones who have a historic responsibility to work hand in hand with trade unions, commit to [it] just as we have, and begin the fightback against the exploitative conditions in this sector, because ultimately, better conditions for care workers mean better standards of care for residents.”

UK Government Announces 45,000 Seasonal Worker Visas to be Available in 2025

The next yearly allocation for Seasonal Worker visas has been announced by the UK government, in addition to extra measures to provide stability to UK farmers and growers.

43,000 visas will be available for horticulture workers in 2025, while 2,000 will be available to poultry workers.

The government are also introducing measures to protect poultry farmers from the effects of avian flu and to regulate the pricing and classification of sheep.

Daniel Zeichner, the Food Security Minister, stated that “

This government recognises that food security is national security, and this can only be achieved by supporting food and farming businesses. Confirming the seasonal worker visa allocation for 2025 gives growers and producers certainty, allowing them to plan ahead and secure the labour they need to grow and thrive.”

The news also comes in the wake of Defra’s 2023 Seasonal Workers Survey report, which shows that 91.0% of seasonal workers in 2024 reported a positive experience from their time working in the UK, with a further 95% expressing a desire to return.

Kier Starmer to Invest Funds to Tackle English Channel People Smuggling

Kier Starmer has announced that his government will invest £75 million and appoint a new team of detectives to tackle the “national security threat” of people smugglers across the English Channel.

Speaking at the Interpol general assembly in Glasgow, the Prime Minister also announced an increase in funding to £150 million for the newly launched Border Security Command, which will be spent on additional high-tech surveillance equipment and specialist investigators.

Starmer has compared his new approach to tackling people smuggling to counter-terrorism measures.

He stated that: “The world needs to wake up to the severity of this challenge. I was elected to deliver security for the British people. And strong borders are a part of that. But security doesn’t stop at our borders…We’re taking our approach to counter-terrorism, which we know works, and applying it to the gangs, with our new Border Security Command. We’re ending the fragmentation between policing, Border Force and our intelligence agencies.”

Around 5,417 were documented to cross the Channel into England in October of this year, which is the highest figure in two years.