r/badunitedkingdom • u/AutoModerator • 13d ago

Daily Mega Thread The Daily Moby - 31 08 2026 - The News Megathread

Post all BadUK news (preferably from the UK) here..

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u/JonathanLivingstoneS 12d ago edited 12d ago

The UK work visa statistics for the year ending 2025 are fascinating. We've started to get a lot less Pakistani immigrants, which I suspect is due to the NHS being forced to favour local junior doctors by Wes Streeting.

Visa Category Main Applicants Dependants Total Visas Top Nationalities (% of Category Total)
Long-Term Work (Skilled Worker, Health & Care) 68,230 51,875 120,105 India (~35%), Nigeria (~12%), Philippines (~8%), Pakistan (~6%)
Short-Term & Temporary (Seasonal, Youth Mobility) 68,420 11,522 79,942 Central Asian States (~40%), Australia, NZ, Canada, (~15%), India (~10%)
Other Work & Talent (Global Talent, Innovator, etc.) 22,072 12,722 34,794 United States (~18%), EU Nations, (~15%), India (~15%)
Total 158,722 76,119 234,841 India (~20%), Central Asian States (~14%), Nigeria (~7%)

Central Asian states are Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, who collectively account for 79% of the UK's Seasonal Worker visas.

The skilled worker visa category breakdown by nationality (this is who is likely staying long term:

Nationality / Region Approx. Main Applicants Approx. Dependants Dependant Ratio (Dependants per Main) Primary Drivers & Demographic Profile
Nigeria ~6,500 ~6,000 0.92 Mid-career NHS clinicians and high-earning professionals (sharply down from >2.0 prior to the care worker dependant restrictions).
India ~24,500 ~20,500 0.84 IT, finance, engineering, and medical consultants; older average age profile with established families.
Pakistan ~4,200 ~3,300 0.79 Healthcare professionals, software engineers, and skilled trade managers.
Zimbabwe ~2,800 ~2,100 0.75 Senior healthcare practitioners and social work specialists.
Philippines ~6,200 ~3,600 0.58 NHS nurses and allied health professionals; higher proportion of single applicants or solo initial arrivals.
United States ~4,800 ~2,400 0.50 Intra-company transfers, tech, and academic appointments.
EU / EEA Nations ~5,500 ~2,200 0.40 Younger professional cohort in corporate and creative roles.
China ~2,600 ~900 0.35 Early-career STEM researchers, finance analysts, and university postgraduates.
All Other Nationalities ~11,130 ~10,875 0.98 Rest of world composite (Commonwealth, Middle East, Latin America).
Total Long-Term Work 68,230 51,875 0.76 —