Immigration in Numbers:
Latest statistics
released

30 August 2022

Last week, the Home Office published its official immigration statistics for the year ending June 2022.

The latest release provides the most up to date figures relating to those coming to the UK or extending their stay, gaining citizenship, applying for asylum and being detained or removed from the UK. The figures show the number of visas granted for work, study and family reasons, including data on new visa routes where these are operational. We set out the report’s key findings below.

Ukrainians in the UK

In March 2022 in response to the war in Ukraine, the UK government formally introduced bespoke visa schemes for Ukrainian nationals seeking to enter or remain in the UK. The latest statistics provide an insight into the number of visas that have been granted under these routes so far.

By 30 June 2022 a total of 151,482 applications had been received across both Ukraine Visa Schemes, of which 133,854 had been granted. The Ukraine Family Scheme had 47,378 applications by 31 March. Of these, 43,325 applications had been granted. The Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme had 104,104 applications and 90,529 grants.

There were also 14,098 extensions granted, 6,436 under the Ukraine Family Scheme and 7,662 under the Ukraine Extension Scheme.

Work visas

There were 331,233 work-related visas granted in the year ending June 2022 (including dependants). This was a 72% increase compared with 2019.

‘Worker’ visas accounted for two-thirds (67%) of all work-related visas granted with 216,450 grants. This is almost double (+96%) when compared to equivalent routes in 2019, with the growth driven by the introduction of the ‘Skilled Worker’ visa in 2020.

There were 87,266 grants of Skilled Worker visas and 96,249 grants of Health and Care Worker visas. Grants for these visas have grown every quarter since they were first introduced in December 2020, and now together represent over half (55%) of all work visas granted.

Grants from ‘Temporary Worker’ routes have also increased by 67% to 72,526, following an increase in the number of visas available through the ‘Seasonal Worker’ route, from 2,500 in 2019 to 40,000 in 2022.

All work visa categories saw an overall increase compared to 2019. This is the highest number of work visas issued in any 12-month period since the data series began in 2005.

New work visas for 2022

In the first half of 2022, the Home Office launched several new immigration routes for those seeking to work in the UK. The latest statistics set out how many applications the new routes had received up to the end of June 2022:

• High Potential Individual route: Launched on 30 May 2022. Up to the end of June 2022, there were 83 applications for this visa with 40 grants, including 6 dependants.
• Global Business Mobility routes: In April 2022, there were five Global Business Mobility routes launched. Up to the end of June 2022, there were:
  • 2,927 grants for the Senior or Specialist Worker visa (main applicants)
  • 49 grants for the Graduate Trainee visa
  • 3 grants for the Secondment Worker visa
  • 2 grants for the Service Supplier visa
  • 0 grants for the UK Expansion Worker visa.

Study visas

In the year ending June 2022, there were 486,868 Sponsored study visas granted (to both main applicants and their dependants), 71% more than in 2019.

The number of Sponsored study visas granted in the year ending June 2022 is the highest on record, with the substantial increase representing both a recovery from lower numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic but also an increase on the pre-pandemic period.

The most common nationalities granted sponsored study visas in this period were:

• Indian nationals (117,965 grants)
• Chinese nationals (115,056 grants)
• Nigerian nationals (65,929 grants).

Family visas

There were 303,553 visas and permits granted for all family reasons in the year ending June 2022, 61% more than 2019, largely due to increases in dependants of people coming on work or study visas, and the dependants of the newly introduced British Nationals (Overseas) route.

Of these, there were 36,470 family-related visas granted, 34% fewer than 2019; almost three quarters (71%) of family-related visas granted in the year ending June 2022 were to partners, with the remainder being for children or other dependants.

There were 226,443 dependants of people coming to the UK on other types of visas, up 180% since 2019. There were particularly large increases in grants to dependants of Sponsored study visa holders and dependants of the ‘Worker’ visa category. This number also includes 30,489 dependants of main applicants on the BN(O) route.

Settlement

There were 122,266 decisions on applications for settlement in the UK in the year ending June 2022, a 13% increase on the previous year and 29% more than in 2019. Of these, 120,770 (99%) resulted in a grant.

In the latest year, there were increases in settlement grants in the ‘asylum’, ‘family’, and ‘other’ categories but fewer to applicants who had been in the UK for work reasons.

Citizenship

There were 179,963 applications for British citizenship in the year ending June 2022, 3% more than in 2019.

Applications for citizenship by non-EU nationals has remained broadly stable since 2014, whilst applications by EU nationals increased up to mid-2021. EU nationals accounted for over a quarter (27%) of all citizenship applications in the latest year compared to 12% in 2016. Increases in citizenship applications from EU nationals since 2016 are likely to reflect people seeking to confirm their status in the UK following the EU referendum and the UK’s exit from the EU.

Help with your UK immigration application

If you are looking for support with a UK visa or immigration application, Smith Stone Walters can help. Our team of immigration experts are experienced in preparing and submitting applications across all categories and can walk you through the entire process.

To find out how we can help, please contact us today.

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