Student visa slump ‘raises serious questions’ on university funding – Research Professional News

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Number of student visas granted falls by more than 40 per cent in three years

The head of Universities UK has said fresh figures showing a slump in visas awarded to international students raise “serious questions” about the sustainability of university funding

Home Office statistics published on 27 August show there were around 383,500 sponsored study visas granted in the year to June 2026, 11 per cent down on the previous year and a 41 per cent fall compared with the peak in the 12 months to June 2023

Visa restrictions introduced by the previous Conservative government at the start of 2024 prevented most applicants from bringing dependants with them, which the Home Office says has contributed to the decline

‘Economy will lose out’

Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, said the fees paid by overseas students—which are much higher than those paid by domestic students—create “opportunities for British students and fund the research” that takes place in universities

“Given the extent to which successive governments have expected universities to cross-subsidise the UK’s higher education and research system from international student fees, today’s figures raise serious questions about the sustainability of current approaches to university funding,” she said

“As the number of international students in UK universities falls, the risk is that British students, local communities and our economy will lose out.”

The current Labour government has said it intends to introduce a levy on international student fees, which will see universities hand over £925 for each overseas recruit beyond the first 220. Money raised will, in part, fund maintenance grants for some domestic students

“While we support the government’s aim to reintroduce maintenance grants, a levy on international student recruitment would be demonstrably unstable and would further undermine our competitiveness,” Stern said. “It is not the best way to pay for this important policy, and we urge ministers to work with us to rethink the current approach.”

Chinese decline

Today’s Home Office figures show Chinese nationals were granted the most study visas in the year to June, with over 86,300 visas issued. However, that figure is down 16 per cent on the previous 12 months, when around 99,900 were granted

Indian students were next highest, with roughly 82,500 visas granted, down 19 per cent when compared with last year’s figures. The number of Pakistani nationals granted study visas was down 47 per cent year on year, the Home Office said

Most students (62 per cent) come to the UK to study master’s courses. The number of visas granted for master’s study in the year ending March 2026, the latest published data, was just under 235,000, some 3 per cent down compared with the previous year

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