The UK recorded 134.8 million arrivals in the year ending June 2025, with British nationals accounting for just over half of all entries, as new data reveals the dramatic impact of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system on visitor patterns.
The Home Office statistics show that whilst traditional visitor visas remained at 2.2 million, the revolutionary ETA scheme has issued 13.4 million authorisations since its launch in October 2023, fundamentally reshaping how millions of travellers enter Britain. The digital permits, which cost £16 and allow multiple entries over two years, have streamlined border crossings for nationals from Europe, North America, Australia, and other visa-exempt countries.
Of the total arrivals, 56% were British nationals returning home, whilst the remaining 44% comprised foreign visitors and migrants. The overwhelming majority of non-British arrivals were short-term visitors, with smaller numbers entering for work, study, family reunification, and humanitarian reasons.
Work Visa Numbers Plummet Amid Policy Tightening
The statistics reveal a sharp contraction in work-related immigration, with just 183,000 visas granted to main applicants across all work categories – a dramatic 36% decrease from the previous year. However, this figure still represents a 33% increase compared to pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
The health and care sector bore the brunt of the decline, with visas for main applicants in this category falling to just 21,000. Most strikingly, visas for migrant workers in caring roles plummeted by 88% to just 7,378, whilst nursing professionals saw an 80% reduction to 3,080.
David Spencer, migration policy expert at Policy Exchange, noted: “These figures reflect the government’s deliberate policy choices to restrict migration in key sectors. The dramatic fall in care worker visas follows both tighter salary thresholds and increased scrutiny of sponsorship applications amid widespread exploitation concerns.
The temporary worker category bucked the downward trend, with 78,000 visas granted – a 90% increase since 2019. Extensions for existing workers also rose by 23%, suggesting many who arrived during the post-Brexit expansion are now renewing their status.
Student Numbers Decline as Dependant Restrictions Bite
International student numbers fell for the first time in years, with 414,000 sponsored study visas issued – a 4% decrease from the previous year. The most dramatic change came in student dependant visas, which collapsed by 81% to just 18,000 following new restrictions preventing most international students from bringing family members.
Despite the recent decline, student numbers remain significantly above pre-pandemic levels. Universities and colleges continue to rely heavily on international students, with 121,000 organisations now licensed to sponsor workers or students – nearly four times the 32,000 registered in 2019.
Family Visas and Humanitarian Routes Contract
Family-related immigration also declined sharply, with 71,000 family visas granted – down 15% year-on-year. This decrease was primarily driven by stricter income requirements for sponsoring spouses, though refugee family reunion visas reached 21,000, the highest level since 2005.
Humanitarian routes saw significant contraction, with 62,000 grants of leave offered – 33% fewer than the previous year. The reduction largely reflected the winding down of the Ukraine scheme, though 7,400 refugees were resettled through other programmes, with 88% arriving via the Afghan Resettlement Programme.
Revolutionary ETA System Transforms Border Control
The Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme represents the most significant transformation of UK border control in decades. Since launching with Qatar nationals in October 2023 and expanding to Gulf states in early 2024, the system now covers most visa-exempt nationalities worldwide.
The 13.4 million ETAs issued dwarf the traditional visitor visa numbers, demonstrating the scheme’s reach. European nationals gained access in April 2025, completing the global rollout. Each £16 authorisation permits multiple entries over two years, with most applications processed within minutes through the UK ETA mobile app.
Border security expert Professor Michael Clarke of King’s College London commented: “The ETA system brings the UK in line with similar schemes in the US and Australia. It provides enhanced security screening whilst facilitating legitimate travel – a delicate balance that appears to be working effectively.
Transit Visas Remain Minimal
Transit visas accounted for just 19,000 of the total, highlighting that the vast majority of arrivals either enter the UK as their destination or hold ETAs that permit transit. The small number reflects both the efficiency of the ETA system and the UK’s geographic position requiring fewer transit passengers than major continental hubs.
Settlement and Citizenship on the Rise
Whilst new arrivals declined across most categories, those already in the UK increasingly secured permanent status. Settlement grants rose by nearly 20% to 163,000, with many beneficiaries being workers who completed their qualifying period under skilled visa routes.
Naturalisation as British citizens reached 257,000 – up 4% year-on-year and double the 2021 figure. The surge reflects both the natural progression of earlier migrant cohorts and simplified procedures for children born in the UK to settled parents.
The EU Settlement Scheme continued processing applications, granting settled status to 335,000 people in the year to June 2025, demonstrating the scheme’s ongoing role years after Brexit.
Irregular Arrivals and Asylum Claims Increase
Against the backdrop of declining legal migration routes, irregular arrivals rose by 27% to 49,000 detected entries. Asylum claims reached 111,000 – up 14% and exceeding the previous 2002 peak of 103,000.
Half of asylum seekers arrived through irregular routes, whilst 37% had previously entered on valid visas before claiming protection. The UK received the fifth-largest number of asylum applications in Europe, after Germany, Spain, Italy, and France.
Initial decisions on asylum claims totalled 110,000, with 48% resulting in grants of protection – down from 58% the previous year but still representing historically high acceptance rates.
Economic and Policy Implications
The statistics paint a picture of a immigration system in transition. Legal migration routes have contracted sharply following deliberate policy interventions, whilst irregular arrivals and asylum claims continue to rise.
Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, observed: “These figures show the intended consequences of recent policy changes – fewer workers and students bringing dependants, higher salary thresholds reducing numbers. But they also highlight ongoing challenges with irregular migration that legal route restrictions alone cannot address.”
Business groups have expressed concern about the sharp reduction in work visas, particularly in health and social care. The Confederation of British Industry warned that staff shortages could worsen without adequate domestic workforce development.
Border Technology Revolution
The shift from traditional visas to digital ETAs represents a fundamental modernisation of UK border management. The 134.8 million total arrivals – 5% higher than the previous year and 9% above pre-pandemic levels – were processed through increasingly automated systems.
Passengers arriving by air accounted for 88% of arrivals, with 7% via rail through the Channel Tunnel and 5% by sea. The overwhelming dominance of air travel reflects both the UK’s island geography and the efficiency of ETA processing at airports.
The success of the ETA rollout, processing over 13 million applications with most receiving instant approval, demonstrates the potential for technology to facilitate travel whilst enhancing security. However, the scheme has created challenges for dual nationals and generated significant revenue – over £214 million at current prices.
Looking Ahead
As the UK continues to refine its post-Brexit immigration system, the June 2025 statistics provide crucial evidence of policy impacts. The dramatic reductions in work and study-related migration may ease political pressure but risk exacerbating labour shortages in key sectors.
The contrast between declining legal routes and rising irregular arrivals poses ongoing challenges for policymakers. Meanwhile, the successful ETA implementation offers a model for further digitisation of immigration systems.
With 852,000 non-visitor visas granted across all categories – down 32% but still 16% above 2019 levels – the UK remains a significant destination for long-term migrants despite recent restrictions. How the system evolves to balance security, economic needs, and humanitarian obligations will shape Britain’s demographic and economic future for decades to come.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
