Student and Care-Worker Visa Numbers Plummet in Latest Home Office Data
Law Society Urges Fairness as ‘Earned Settlement’ Consultation Closes
Home Office Clarifies 20-Hour Supplementary Work Rule for Skilled Workers
Latest News
Universities Sound Alarm as January Study-Visa Intake Hits Four-Year Low
Only 19,800 international students applied for UK study visas in January 2026, down nearly a third year-on-year. University leaders warn that continued contraction will force course closures, job cuts and potential institutional mergers if policies on dependants and post-study work are not softened.
Migrant nurses warn new 10-year settlement rule will split families
A Praxis survey of more than 1,000 migrant workers – many in the NHS – shows 60 % fear family breakup under plans to make most migrants wait 10 years (and some 15 years) for settlement. Critics say the policy could drive 50,000 nurses out of the UK and add almost £20,000 in extra visa costs per adult, hurting employers and public-services alike.
Four-hour passport queues loom for British travellers as EU biometric system falters
Airports, airlines and the Independent warn that the EU’s digital Entry/Exit System is causing two-hour waits and could stretch to four hours at peak. Trade bodies want the Commission to let member states pause EES during July–August or risk major disruption for millions of UK passengers.
Airports call for power to pause EES roll-out to avert ‘five-hour’ queues
European airports are pressing the Commission to legalise a summer pause in the Entry/Exit System. Without it, ACI Europe says Britons could face five-hour waits; Lisbon has already suspended checks twice due to crowding.
Home Office email blunder risks locking BRP holders out of new e-Visa system
A registration-link mix-up means many BRP holders never received the email needed to create their digital e-Visa account. Lawyers say thousands risk losing legal-status proof when physical permits are scrapped next year, potentially grounding travellers and costing employers.
Airlines accuse Heathrow of ‘blank-cheque’ approach as £33 bn expansion costs spiral
Airlines have launched an unprecedented campaign urging regulators to rein in Heathrow’s £33 bn third-runway scheme, saying passengers will end up footing the bill through higher charges. The CAA will decide this summer whether to overhaul the airport’s cost-recovery model.
Home Office schedules 2026 ‘migration transparency’ and visa-application data releases
The Home Office has confirmed publication dates for its 2026 migration-performance dashboards and monthly visa-application statistics, giving businesses advance sight of processing-time data that will underpin planning for next year’s ETA enforcement.