Applications for UK study visas have dipped for the first time in 2025, just ahead of a make-or-break recruitment window for the country¡¯s universities.

Interest from would-be international students had , with data running to the end of June showing a 19 per cent increase compared?with the first half of last year.

But shows that June itself was the first month of 2025?that was behind last year¡¯s numbers, with 27,900 applications for sponsored study visas being submitted, down 1.1 per cent.

This comes after May¡¯s announcement that the duration of the post-study graduate visa ¨C a key draw for many overseas learners ¨C would be reduced from two years to 18 months.

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UK universities will be watching the data closely ahead of the crunch recruitment months of July, August and September, in the run-up to the start of the 2025-26 academic year.

The latest financial sustainability report published by the Office for Students found that almost half of English higher education institutions are facing a deficit this year,?with a downturn in international student numbers a major factor, following the?visa restrictions brought in by the previous government.?

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Looking at the 12 months ending in June 2025, the total of 424,900 study visa applications was down 7 per cent on the year ending 2024, the ÌÇÐÄVlog Office said.

Just 7,900 family members applied for visas as dependants of students during the first six months of 2025, down 28.8 per cent on the same period last year, indicating the continuing impact of the restriction of this route to students on postgraduate research courses only as of January 2024.

Commenting on the 12-month figures, Lisa Randall, head of higher education at consulting firm RSM UK, suggested that the 7 per cent decline may be linked to ¡°changing delivery models¡± which ¡°reduc[ed] the need for [students to have] UK visas to study overseas¡±.

¡°In February, the government expanded its Turing scheme to include overseas campuses of UK institutions, resulting in students having access to international placements through UK-affiliated campuses overseas, without needing to travel to the UK and reducing visa requirements,¡± she said.

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¡°Similarly, many UK and international universities are partnering to deliver UK-accredited degrees via joint degree programmes, franchise models and offshore campuses, enabling students to achieve a UK degree without leaving their home country. This shift also coincides with ongoing portfolio reviews and cost-saving measures across the UK higher education landscape, to streamline operations and focus on high-demand courses.

¡°However, this may result in limited course options for prospective overseas students, as well as impacting the student experience if resources are scaled back. Geopolitical uncertainty also continues to impact student mobility, as the ¡®unknown unknowns¡¯ and affordability concerns influence more cautious decision-making.¡±

Randall added: ¡°While transnational education models offer greater flexibility, higher education providers need to maintain the quality and appeal that originally encouraged overseas students to study in the UK.

¡°Despite cost pressures, universities are expected to drive the UK¡¯s pipeline of highly skilled workers, so it¡¯s essential the upcoming post-16 education and skills paper outlines the role of universities to deliver lifelong learning and reskilling in line with the industrial strategy.¡±

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chris.havergal@timeshighereducation.com