6-Fold Increase in Work Visas Granted to Non-EU Immigrants

Critics say the surging immigration figures ‘will change the nature’ of the UK ‘within a generation’ without government action.

Border Force check the passports of passengers arriving at Gatwick Airport near London on May 28, 2014. Oli Scarff/Getty Images

There has been an almost six-fold increase in the number of skill-related work visas for non-EU immigrants, according to newly released figures.

In 2022–2023 alone, 159,000 skill-related work visas were granted to foreign nationals outside Europe—an increase from 27,000 permits issued in 2018–2019.