The post-Brexit framework
Following the end of EU freedom of movement after Brexit, the UK introduced a points-based immigration system for all overseas nationals (including EU citizens, who previously had an automatic right to work and live in the UK). The system assigns points for meeting specific criteria: a job offer from an approved sponsor, meeting minimum salary thresholds, English language requirements, and a role on the skills shortage list.
Visa categories
The main visa categories include: the Skilled Worker visa (for those with a qualifying job offer, the largest route), the Health and Care Worker visa (a fast-track version for NHS and social care workers), the Student visa (for those accepted by an approved university or college), and the Graduate visa (allowing graduates to remain and work in the UK for two to three years after completing their studies). Family visas allow spouses, children and parents to join qualifying people in the UK.
The numbers
UK net migration reached a record high of approximately 745,000 in 2022, driven primarily by non-EU nationals, notably from India, Nigeria, Pakistan and China. The growth in student visas was a significant driver, as was the expansion of health and care worker recruitment. The government has introduced successive measures to reduce net migration — increasing salary thresholds, restricting student dependants — with limited effect on the total.
The policy tension
Immigration policy in the UK involves a structural tension: public concern about high migration levels sits alongside the genuine labour market dependence of the NHS, social care, agriculture, hospitality and construction sectors on overseas workers. Meeting reduced net migration targets while sustaining NHS and social care staffing requires either significant pay increases in those sectors to attract domestic workers or accepting higher migration for specific occupations.