74,000 Indians leave the UK as immigration rules tightened

hema singuluri I hyderabad

The United Kingdom is now witnessing one of its huge migration shifts in recent years, and Indian nationals are at the center of this change, as around 45,000 left on study visas, 22,000 on work visas, and another 7,000 on other visas. 

According to the National Statistics (UK’s official statistics agency), it shows that as immigration rules tighten, more Indians are returning home or moving elsewhere, contributing to a steep 80% drop in the UK's net migration from its 2023 peak and the lowest level since 2021.

The major reasons contributing behind this shift are the changes in work rules and post study work visas, as a growing number of Indian students and workers finding it increasingly difficult to remain in the country long-term. The provisional ONS estimates for the year ending June 2025, around 74,000 Indians left the UK. This makes Indian nationals the largest non-EU group leaving the UK, with Chinese citizens following at 42,000 departures. The rise in emigration, combined with a fall in new arrivals, has reshaped the UK’s migration landscape dramatically. 

Many of these departures include the ones who planned for a longer stay unlike those students who came for one-year postgraduate programs. But analysts are pointing to a much stronger play which is the UK government’s deliberate tightening of immigration policies. Higher salary thresholds for skilled workers, stricter visa rules, and a ban on most postgraduate students bringing dependents have made the UK far less accessible for those hoping to transition from study to settlement.

Labor experts and advocacy groups warn that these measures could hit sectors already struggling with skill shortages, including healthcare and construction.   Meera Afreen, a 22-year-old student who arrived in the UK just two months ago to pursue Cybersecurity at the University of Surrey, is now witnessing these changes as a new student.  

“I’ve only been in the UK for a couple of months now for my master’s, and I would say for anyone who plans a long-term course or stay, it wouldn’t be a good choice. For recent students like me, we have no other choice than to continue, which isn’t a problem, but I would suggest people who are planning to think twice, specifically those who plan for good, long courses and jobs."  She added, “Changes like Post Study Work Visa (PSW) and other stricter and tighter rules would suffocate those who plan to work or study longer than regular courses.” 

Afreen noted that many students she met who planned on completing the course had already decided to leave because of the new rules, some returning to India, others shifting to different countries. “I’d definitely tell them to come with the mindset that this is more of a one-year academic experience rather than a guaranteed pathway to work and settle,” she said. Her concerns resemble the experience of those who studied in the UK under similarly tight rules a decade ago.  

Gautam Valluri, a Paris-based designer who studied in the UK in 2014–15, described the challenges even before Brexit. Valluri had competing master’s offers from France and the UK but chose the latter because of a £3,000 British Council scholarship. His program demanded independent academic work with one-on-one faculty consultations. 

After graduating, Valluri had four months to secure a job paying £35,000 per year, the then threshold for visa sponsorship. “I interviewed for a job in my last week in the UK that would’ve paid me that amount but in the end I didn’t get the job despite a very good interview,” he said. 

Valluri is clear about his recommendation “I wouldn't recommend UK, it is not worth it. It’s expensive for tuition and in places like London also for living expenses. You can study for almost free in France (if you know French) and Germany has also some free universities that teach some courses in English”, he added.  As stricter rules and policies shape the future of UK migration, the message from both current and former students explains that for many Indians, the UK would be harder for the long-term opportunity as the policies would only increase.