UK Visa System Faces Overhaul, Applicants From Some Nations May Be Restricted

Studying or working in the United Kingdom will soon become exceedingly difficult for nationals of certain countries. The update comes from the UK Home Office, which says it has been identifying countries from which visitors are most likely to overstay and claim asylum.

According to a report in the BBC, the UK Home Office is planning a crackdown on asylum seekers who misuse the visa system. Some of the countries under watch include Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nigeria. Once a list is finalised, nationals from those countries will find it difficult to attain a visa, be it for work or education.

THE CRACKDOWN

The investigation began after it was noticed that the immigration system was being misused by people of certain nationalities, who came to the UK legally on a work or study visa, but stayed beyond their permit and sought asylum, which, if granted, allows them to live and work in the UK permanently.

Even asylum seekers whose applications are rejected can prolong their stay in the UK, sometimes indefinitely, by repeated appeals, which may take frustratingly long. This highlights a loophole in the system.

The data for the survey, which is reportedly in its final stages, have not been published yet, so it is unclear which other nationalities will face more scrutiny at the visa application stage. UK's Home Office has not officially released any statistics on exit checks since 2020, when COVID-19 saw people being sent to their home country.

WHAT THE STATS REVEAL

The latest data gathered by the British government is currently under review over the accuracy of the figures mentioned in it. "Our upcoming Immigration White Paper will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system," a spokesperson of the Home Office said.

As per data revealed by the BBC, UK's Home Office has found out that more than 108,000 people have claimed asylum in the UK in 2024 - the highest since 1979, when the government started keeping records for it. Of this, 10,542 asylum seekers were from Pakistan alone - the most by any country. Sri Lanka and Nigeria followed with 2,862 and 2,841 nationals respectively.

Stats from 2023-24 show that international students in the UK stood at 7,32,285, with most coming from India, followed by China at 1,07,480 and 98,400 respectively. Indian students however, did not figure prominently in the asylum seekers list. Last year, the number of visas issued by the UK, both for work and study dipped in comparison to 2023.

The data also showed that the net migration - the inflow of people in the UK compared to the number of people leaving the UK stood at a record 9,06,000 as of a year to June 2023. That number fell to 7,28,000 a year later in 2024 due to cubs introduced by for UK PM Rishi Sunak.

HEIGHTENED SCRUTINY

Prime Minister Keir Starmer now aims to introduce a new system that will see the UK profiling and rejecting work and study visas to individuals who are flagged as a 'risk' to claim asylum after entering legally.

According to UK daily The Times, which first reported the story, applicants will face greater scrutiny of their financial statements if they apply for taxpayer-funded accommodation, such as hostels.

Some other patterns that will be closely watched by the Home Office's intelligence-gathering mechanism, include identifying behavioural patterns, such as low engagement in university courses.