The UK issued over 432,000 sponsored student visas to main applicants international students in the year ending 2024 – 13% lower than the same period last year, according to the report by ApplyBoard.

The report called for institutions to focus on recruiting from the emerging student populations, as the restriction on dependants continues to result in a decline in international students.  

It said Nepal is poised to alter the international student landscape across the globe, and its students “are certainly showing a strong interest in the UK”.

The number of Indian students in the UK declined by 23% year on year while there was a 46% decline in Nigerian students getting study visas for the year ending in June.

Despite these findings, from January to June 2024, Pakistani and Nepalese student demand grew by over 30% each compared to the same period the previous year.

Nearly 34,000 Pakistani students were issued a study visa, surpassing Nigeria to become the UK’s third largest source of international students.

ApplyBoard said the dip in overall study visas being issued is “likely only the tip of the iceberg” as the majority of study visas are issued during the third quarter when the new academic year starts, making the next couple of months “pivotal”.

Visa refusal rates remained low, with only 4% of main applicants refused a sponsored study visa for the year ending June 2024, according to the report.

“Refusals, then, played only a minimal role in the overall dip in student visas,” the report said.

It highlighted that there’s been a “tremendous spoke in withdrawn applications” since the UK announced a policy banning masters taught international students from bringing dependents into the country with them was announced.

Destination markets don’t operate in a vacuum—we’ve seen time and again how policies in one country can push or pull student inflows from another

ApplyBoard

Over 6,000 main applicants withdrew their sponsored study visa applications during this period – an increase of 279% over the same period in 2023.

Additionally, the report highlighted that Australia’s new international student cap could provide the UK’s international education sector with the potential for “positive momentum”.

“Destination markets don’t operate in a vacuum—we’ve seen time and again how policies in one country can push or pull student inflows from another.

“The UK benefited when Australia’s borders were closed for two years in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, so it would not surprise us to see a renewed spike in interest for UK institutions due to the forthcoming Australian cap,” the report said.