Skilled Worker Visa Applications Down 44 Percent in Year to March 2026
16 May 2026
New Home Office statistics show a sharp fall in work visa applications over the past year. The data covers the 12 months to March 2026 and reflects the impact of rule changes introduced in 2024 and 2025.
Skilled Worker
There were 34,700 Skilled Worker visa applications from main applicants in the year to March 2026. That is a 44% decrease compared to the year to March 2025. Applications from dependants on the Skilled Worker route also fell, down 20% to 43,300.
Health and Care
Health and Care Worker applications fell even more sharply. There were 12,300 main applicant applications in the year to March 2026, a 54% fall compared to the previous year. Applications are now 92% lower than the peak of 161,600 recorded in the year to November 2023.
Family
Family visa applications fell by 5% to 76,000 in the year to March 2026. Month-on-month figures show a more pronounced decline, with applications falling from around 8,400 per month in September 2025 to around 5,000 per month by March 2026.
What drove the fall
The data follows a series of rule changes. The skill level for Skilled Worker jobs was raised to RQF Level 6, cutting the number of roles that qualify. From 8 January 2026, the English language requirement was raised from B1 to B2 for Skilled Worker applicants. The Immigration Skills Charge also increased by 32% from 16 December 2025.
Health and Care Worker restrictions introduced in 2024 limited eligibility for care workers in England and tightened rules on bringing dependants.
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