Sponsored study visas granted by the UK fell for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2023, with 5% fewer granted to main applicants when compared with 2022.
A total of 457,673 sponsored study visas were granted to main applicants for the year, new statistics show.
Although figures are lower than in 2022, total figures are 70% higher than 2019.
However, the new figures from the Home Office come at a time when admissions teams are under pressure to recruit international students in a bid to subsidise other operations at universities, including funding places for domestic students.
