A record 1.47 million visas were issued in the year to March 2023 to people coming to the UK for work, study or family reasons, or through one of the Government’s settlement schemes, Home Office figures show.
The total is up 53% from 960,133 in the year to March 2022, and is the seventh successive record high for a 12-month period since comparable data began in 2005.
Study visas accounted for the largest proportion, at 632,006 or 43% of the total, followed by work visas (487,771, or 33%) and visas issued under the Ukraine schemes (198,358, or 13%).
Some 47,227 (3%) visas were granted to British National Overseas status holders from Hong Kong, 31,550 (2%) were under the EU Settlement Scheme, and 4,562 (0.3%) were under other settlement schemes.
In addition, 65,642 family visas were issued (4% of the total), along with 5,046 visas for dependants joining or accompanying others (0.3%).
