Introduction
This topic briefing focuses on non-EEA nationals who are subject to immigration control and who come to the UK to study or who are in the UK to study.
For those students subject to immigration control, administrative information is available on visas, extensions to stay as well as records of student admissions (number of journeys). The International Passenger Survey (IPS), run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), also provides estimates of all students arriving in the UK with the intention of staying for a year or more.
Key facts
Most recent data for the year ending June 2012 (213,836) show there has been a 30% decrease in the number of visas issued for study in comparison with the year ending June 2011 (304,507). Admissions of those for the purposes of study in 2011 (267,000) have also fallen by 10% compared to 2010 (296,000). ONS estimates for student migration for 2011 (181,000) are similar to those for 2010 (180,000). Entry clearance visas provide the most up-to-date picture of immigration.
Falls in the number of visas issued for the purposes of study is consistent with significant changes to the student visas system from April 2011 following a major public consultation on reforming Tier 4 of the points-based system.
Figures for entry clearance visas are Official Statistics and have not been designated as National Statistics. For details about the quality of the data relating to these figures please see the User Guide.
Across the available range of data sources for non-EU nationals, entering the UK for study has been the most common reason for coming to the UK since 2006. Between 2005 and the early part of 2011 figures from entry clearance visas, admission and estimates from the IPS for non-EU Nationals all showed a rise in student immigration. However, there are now signs that student immigration may have peaked as figures across the range of data sources have all seen decreases since peaks in 2010.
Long term comparison of sources of data on student immigration
Chart notes
Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics April – June 2012, Before entry table be.04.q and Admissions table ad.02.q; Office for National Statistics.
(1) Excludes dependants and student visitors for greater consistency with non-EU immigration estimates based on the International Passenger Survey
(2) For periods prior to the year ending September 2008, the count of student arrivals is not comparable with student visas issued. This is because student arrival numbers include short-term students that can be excluded from the visa time series.
The above chart shows that IPS estimates, while being substantially lower, follow a broadly similar trend to student visas issued and passenger arrivals, with steeper increases in all three series during 2009. One reason why IPS estimates of students arriving are lower than figures for student visas issued or passenger arrivals is that the IPS figures exclude the many students who intend to stay for less than a year.
Despite the general trend being similar, there are instances where the trends in visas issued, admissions and IPS estimates occasionally diverge. This apparent discrepancy could be due to the potential for a margin of error that is inherent in sample surveys, together with possible changes in the proportion intending to stay for more than a year and the time difference between a visa being issued and the individual arriving.
Student visitors
Student visitors have a maximum six-month visa, except in a small number of cases following a recent change in the rules, and have to leave the country in order to apply for further stay. Therefore they are not counted as long-term migrants or in the extensions of stay data.
In the year ending June 2012, 68,997 people were issued student visitor visas, a 25% increase on the previous year. The number of visas issued to student visitors has increased steadily since 2005 (15,834) and is now at its highest level.
The latest data available on passenger arrivals show that in 2011, 262,000 people (an 9% rise on 2010) were admitted under student visitor rules. Student visitor visas are not required for non-visa nationals (e.g. United States); however, non-visa nationals will be included in the passenger arrivals data as a student visitor. This means that student visitor arrivals are considerably higher than student visitor visas issued (61,381 in the year ending December 2011).
Between 2004 and 2008, the total number of people (including their dependants) admitted for study increased by 27% from 307,000 to 391,000. A significant proportion of this increase may be due to the rules surrounding the introduction of the student visitor category in September 2007, as some coming to study for a short period would have been counted as visitors.
Visas
Latest quarterly data show that in the year ending June 2012, the number of study entry clearance visas issued was 213,836, a decrease of 30% on a year earlier (304,507).
This fall is consistent with the tightening of the immigration rules for students since April 2011.
Admissions
Latest data show that the number of student admissions was 267,000 in 2011, a decrease of 28,700 (10%) on 2010.
When considering study (excluding student visitors), since the introduction of the student visitor category, admissions and entry visa numbers follow a similar trend as all those wishing to stay for six months or more require a visa.
Immigration for study
For the year ending December 2011, the provisional IPS estimate for non-EU nationals arriving to study for more than a year (180,000) was little changed on the previous year (181,000).
Source: ONS, Long-Term International Migration(Opens in a new window).
Extensions of stay
Latest data show that in the year ending June 2012, the number of extensions of stay granted to those for study was 80,895 a decrease of 31% on a year earlier (116,546). This is again consistent with the tightening of the immigration rules for students since April 2011.
The number of grants of extension for the year ending June 2012 is lower than any comparable period in the current published series.
Nationalities issued entry clearance visas
Of the total 261,405 people issued visas for the purposes of study in 2011, over half (69% or 179,656) were to Asian nationals.
Top ten nationalities issued entry clearance visas for the purposes of study, 2011 (Total number of visas issued for the purposes of study 261,405)
Staying in the UK
Research undertaken for the Migrant Journey Analysis showed that, of migrants granted student visas in 2004, one in five (21%) appears to have remained in the immigration system after five years. The analysis of UK Border Agency data suggests that these were split between those who remained as students (6%), and those granted further stay for work and family reasons (through marriage, for example). Only a small number of those issued with student visas in 2004 had been granted settlement.
Source: Home Office, Migrant Journey Analysis, Migration research.
Data tables
Data on student immigration, sourced from Home Office administrative systems, can be found in the following tables:
The Office for National Statistics publishes data on student immigration, International Migration(Opens in a new window).
About the figures
There are a range of measures that can be used to monitor those, subject to immigration control, coming to the United Kingdom to work. These include:
-
issues of visas for entry clearance, providing information of those intending to come;
-
admissions data, providing information on migrants at the border;
-
estimates on non-EU immigration from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) on migrants intending to stay for at least a year for work purposes.
In addition, grants of (in-country) extensions of stay for study purposes provide information on migrants in-country.
Trends in extensions and in permission to stay permanently will depend on admissions and immigration in previous years.
Figures for immigration in this topic relates to non-EU nationals whilst other figures (visas, admissions, extensions) relate to non-EEA nationals.
The various statistics for those coming to the UK to study can appear to give different pictures of student immigration. Often this is because the latest data for different measures cover different time periods. In addition, they also count different aspects of the immigration process, with some showing intentions or permissions, while others show actual events.
The Before Entry, Admissions and Settlement sections of the User Guide includes a discussion on the differences between the various data sources presented on immigration for work.
For information on changes to legislation affecting those entering the UK as students see the User Guide.
Data includes dependants unless stated otherwise.
The User Guide provides further details on the topics relating to study including definitions used, how figures are compiled, data quality and issues arising from figures being estimated from samples or based on data sourced from an administrative database
Figures for entry clearance visas are Official Statistics and have not been designated as National Statistics. For details about the quality of the data relating to these figures please see the User Guide.
All data for 2010 and 2011 are provisional, except for IPS estimates which have been finalised for 2010.
Figures for admissions and immigration in this briefing are estimates rounded to the nearest thousand.