Why do people come to the UK? To study
Updated 22 August 2019
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Data relate to the year ending June 2019 and all comparisons are with the year ending June 2018, unless indicated otherwise.
This section contains data on:
- Sponsored study (Tier 4) visas
- Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) by education sector
- Short-term students
1. Immigration for study
In the year ending June 2019, there were 253,111 Sponsored study (Tier 4) visas granted (including dependants), a 13% increase or 29,115 more than the previous year, and the highest level since 2011. The clear majority (98%) of Tier 4 visa applications were granted.
The majority (85%) of those coming to the UK on a sponsored study visa come to study at Higher Education (university) institutions. In the year ending June 2019, Sponsored study visa applications for the Higher Education (university) sector increased by 11% to 201,919, the highest level on record.
In addition to those coming on Sponsored study (Tier 4) visas, there were 116,311 short-term student visas granted in the year ending June 2019. More information on short-term study visas can be found in the ‘about these statistics’ section below.
Figure 1: Sponsored study (Tier 4) visa grants and grant rate
Source:
Table vi 01 q, (Entry clearance visas tables, volume 1)
There were continuing and notable increases in the number of Tier 4 visas granted to Chinese nationals (up 21% to 107,622) and Indian nationals (up 42% to 21,881); this is the largest number of grants to Indian students since the year ending June 2012. Chinese and Indian nationals together accounted for just over half of all non-European Economic Area (EEA) Tier 4 visas granted (43% and 9% respectively).
Table 1: Top 5 nationalities granted Sponsored study (Tier 4) visas
| Nationality | Year ending June 2018 | Year ending June 2019 | Change | Percentage change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 89,298 | 107,622 | +18,324 | +21% |
| India | 15,388 | 21,881 | +6,493 | +42% |
| United States | 14,384 | 15,345 | +961 | +7% |
| Hong Kong | 9,386 | 9,115 | -271 | -3% |
| Saudi Arabia | 7,922 | 8,847 | +925 | +12% |
| All other nationalities | 87,618 | 90,301 | +2,683 | +3% |
| Total | 223,996 | 253,111 | +29,115 | +13% |
Source:
Entry clearance visas table vi 06 q (volume 2)
Table notes:
- Top 5 nationalities in the most recent year
In the year ending June 2019, 95% of those granted study visas (excluding Short-term students) were main applicants compared with 71% of those granted work visas.
In August 2019, the Home Office published their ‘Fourth report on statistics being collected under the exit checks programme’, which showed that the majority (97%) of those with Tier 4 visas expiring in the year ending March 2019, were known to have departed from the UK before their visa had expired.
1.1 Sponsored study visa applications by sector
In the year ending June 2019, the number of Study sponsored visa applications (main applicants) rose 9% to 236,679. This included:
- an 11% rise in sponsored visa applications for the Higher Education (University) sector (to 201,919)
- a 3% increase for the Further education sector (to 14,783)
- a 7% fall for the Independent school sector (to 13,094)
- a 15% increase for English language schools (to 4,662)
Figure 2: Sponsored study visa applications by sector4
Source:
Chart notes:
- ‘Higher Education Institutions’ relate to UK-based universities.
- ‘Further education’ relates to tertiary, further education or other colleges.
- Most of the fall in the Further education sector’s sponsored visa applications since the peak in mid-2011 has been accounted for by the revocation of licences issued to sponsors (see the user guide for further details).
- The time series begins in the year ending March 2011 as this is the first full year for which data are available.
The Higher Education Statistics Authority’s (HESA) January 2019 report showed an 8% increase in the number of new non-EU entrants (those entering the first year of their course), which is mirrored by a 9% increase in the number of Sponsored student visa applications for the Higher education sector in the closest corresponding period (year ending September 2018).
In addition to the number of Tier 4 visas granted, there were 116,311 Short-term study visas granted, a 5% increase on the previous year, and the highest level on record. There are also large numbers of people who do not require a visa for short-term study in the UK, most noticeably US citizens.
2. About these statistics
The statistics in this section provide an indication of the number of people who have an intention to enter the UK for study reasons.
Entry clearance visas allow an individual to enter and stay in the UK within the period for which the visa is valid. EEA nationals do not require a visa to enter the UK.
Data in this section refer to the number of Entry clearance visas granted for study reasons within the period. If an individual was granted a visa more than once in a given period, this has been counted as multiple grants in the statistics. If an individual entered the UK multiple times within the period for which a visa was valid, this has been counted as one grant in the visa statistics.
The data do not show whether, or when, an individual arrived in the UK, what they did on arrival to the UK, or how long they stayed in the UK.
Year-on-year comparisons of the number of decisions can be affected by quarterly fluctuations in the data. Such fluctuations can be examined in more detail in the quarterly data that are available in the published tables.
Tier 4 (Sponsored study) provides a route for students to study with an approved education provider. It was implemented from 31 March 2009, replacing previous entry routes for study. This category includes all Tier 4 and, prior to 31 March 2009, pre-PBS equivalent visas.
To apply for a Student visa or for an extension of stay as a student (Tier 4), individuals must use a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) from a sponsoring educational institution. Study visas applied for with a CAS are also referred to as ‘Sponsored visa applications’. Statistics relating to sponsored acceptances for study measure the number of successful sponsorship applications in the four main educational sectors – universities (higher education), further education, independent schools and English language schools.
The Short-term study visa (previously described as Student visitor) allows individuals to come to the UK for 6 months (or 11 months if they will be studying an English language course). Individuals with this visa cannot extend their stay. Admissions data shows much higher numbers of short-term student admissions from non-EEA nationals than of Short-term student visas granted. This is due to many student visitor admissions being from nationalities that are not required to obtain a visa if they wish to come to the UK as a short-term student for 6 months or less (such as US nationals).
ONS publishes long-term international migration (LTIM) estimates in its ‘Migration Statistics Quarterly Report’. These data provide estimates from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) of the number of people coming to the UK with the intention of staying for 12 months or more for work, study, family and other reasons. Estimates are available for EU, non-EU, and British nationals. IPS data are not directly comparable with Home Office visa data for several reasons. See the ONS article ‘Comparing sources of international migration statistics’ for details.
In January 2019, HESA published its latest ‘Higher Education Student Statistics UK’, for the academic year 2017 to 2018. HESA publishes data on new entrants to UK higher education providers for both EEA and non-EEA nationals.
3. Data tables
Data on student immigration can be found in the following tables:
- Sponsorship tables
- Entry clearance visas tables (volume 1)
- Entry clearance visas tables (volume 2)
- Entry clearance visas tables (volume 3)
- Admissions tables
- Extensions tables
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