Indian nationals top the tally of skilled worker and student visas issued by the United Kingdom over the past year, according to the data shared by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in London in May.
The ONS data collated by the UK Home Office shows that Indian nationals were the top nationality for cross-sector skilled work, including specifically targeted healthcare visas aimed at filling staff shortages in the National Health Service (NHS). The nationality also made up the largest group of students granted visas under the new Graduate post-study work route with 41 percent of grants.
The UK granted 92,951 Graduate route extensions to previous students in the year ending March 2023. Indian nationals represented the largest group of students granted leave to remain on this route. In the ‘Worker’ category, they were the top nationality for visas, representing one third (33 per cent) of grants. They were also the top nationality for both the Skilled Worker and Skilled Worker – Health and Care visas. The skilled worker visas granted to Indians increased 63 percent, from 13,390 in 2021-22 to 21,837 in 2022-23. In the healthcare visa category, Indians registered a 105 percent hike from 14,485 to 29,726.
