Work visa approvals in the United Kingdom fell sharply in 2025, underscoring the impact of stricter immigration policies as the government seeks to curb legal
migration, according to official figures released on Thursday.
Data covering the year to December 2025 show that Britain issued 168,000 work visas, a 19% decline from 2024 and half the level seen in 2023. The downturn reflects a sustained tightening of visa rules introduced by successive governments, alongside tougher enforcement aimed at deterring illegal arrivals and accelerating deportations.
The political backdrop has added urgency. The Labour Party government is trailing Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in opinion polls, piling pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to demonstrate firm control over immigration.
The squeeze has been most pronounced in key sectors. Visas issued to health and care workers were halved, while approvals for other skilled workers fell 36%, raising concerns among employers already grappling with labour shortages.
The latest figures extend a broader trend highlighted by the Office for National Statistics, which last year reported that long-term net migration to Britain dropped by more than two-thirds in the year to June.
Enforcement data paint a mixed picture. Authorities recorded 46,497 illegal arrivals, a 7% increase, with 89% arriving by small boats. At the same time, asylum applications edged down 4% to 100,625, while forced removals rose 21% to 9,900.
Taken together, the numbers suggest the government’s tougher stance is reshaping legal migration flows, even as irregular crossings remain a persistent challenge. Photo by Eric Fischer, Wikimedia commons.