Reason for international migration, international students update - May 2025

23rd May 2025

Immigration of non-EU+ migrants initially arriving on a study-related visa decreased from 423,000 in year ending (YE) December 2023 to 266,000 in YE December 2024. A decrease in student dependants following government policy changes accounts for around two-thirds of this change.

In YE December 2023 study-dependant visas accounted for 29% of all non-EU+ migrants initially arriving on a study-related visa (121,000); this fell to 6% (17,000) for YE December 2024 arrivals.

Emigration of non-EU+ migrants initially arriving on a study-related visa increased from 114,000 in YE December 2023 to 135,000 in YE December 2024; this may in part reflect higher levels of study immigration since 2021 as these students finish their courses.

Since 2022, decreasing study-related immigration and increasing study-related emigration resulted in lower long-term net migration of non-EU+ international migrants initially arriving in the UK on a study-related visa; this decreased to 131,000 in YE December 2024 compared with our updated YE December 2023 estimate of 309,000.

The proportion of non-EU+ students and their dependants who had transitioned to a different visa type after three years increased for arrivals in YE December 2021 (46%) compared with arrivals in YE December 2019 (18%).

Read the full ONS report HERE