There has been a sharp fall in the number of overseas health and care workers applying for visas in the first few months of this year compared with the year before.
In contrast, there has been a steep rise in people applying for the skilled worker visa, as well as their dependents.
The government said the various drops in legal migration show their plan “is working”.
Just 12,400 people applied for the Health and Care Worker visa from January to April this year, according to the latest statistics published by the government on Wednesday.
During the same period last year, 50,900 applications were made – 76% more than this year.
In March, the government announced social care workers would no longer be able to bring dependents on their visa.
In April, there was a 58% fall in health and care dependents applying compared with April 2023, in the first full month where statistics are available following the announcement.
There was also a 12% reduction in people applying for the sponsored study visa, from 49,400 to 43,600. A sponsored study visa is where an international student or schoolchild is sponsored by an education provider such as an independent school or university.
Applications for dependents on the sponsored study visa dropped by a dramatic 79%, from 38,900 to 8,300.
That fall comes after the government announced last year that from 1 January this year, post-graduate students could not bring dependents unless they were studying for a PhD or other doctorate, or a research-based degree.
In contrast, the number of people applying for a “skilled worker” visa rose by 41%, with their dependents increasing by 62%.
On 4 April, the government increased the minimum salary for the skilled worker visa from £26,200 to £38,700, so there has not yet been a month of statistics following that announcement.
Home Secretary James Cleverly hailed the drop in health and care worker visa applications as he said it was evidence their plan to “deliver the largest-ever cut to legal migration in our country’s history is working”.
He added: “The British people deserve an immigration system that puts their interests first.
“Our approach is about control and fairness; to the highly skilled coming here who deserve a decent wage, to taxpayers who shouldn’t be relied on to support them, and to British workers who shouldn’t be undercut.
“We will continue to keep these measures under close review and if needed, we will not hesitate to go further.”
Labour’s shadow immigration minister, Stephen Kinnock, accused the government of “scrambling around, desperately trying to clean up the mess they made” as he pointed to the “record high” in applications to the Skilled Worker visa.
“Labour is clear that we will deliver a Skills and Growth levy to support local people into training, ensure no return to Tory rules that allowed employers to undercut British workers, and make sure migration and skills policy are joined up so we can support the aims of the UK economy,” he added.
