Visas for foreign workers in UK fall by 25pc

A similar ban on dependents for care workers, which came into effect on March 11, and a crackdown on rogue agents hiring in the sector also appears to have had an impact on the numbers coming to the UK.

The number of foreign health and care worker visas fell by 76 per cent from 50,900 to 12,400, while dependents were down by six per cent from 59,300 to 55,700.

By contrast, skilled worker visas were up 41 per cent, from 20,700 to 29,200 in the first four months of this year compared with the same period in 2023. The number of dependents were up 62 per cent to 26,300 from 16,200.

The increase in the skilled worker is likely due to a “fire sale” of visas as skilled workers sought to come to Britain before the threshold was increased in April from £26,200 to £38,700, according to experts.

It comes after Prof Brian Bell, the chairman of the Migration Advisory Committee, said the Prime Minister had a “fighting chance” of reducing net migration by the time of the next election, expected in October or November.

He said that net migration could fall to between 150,000 and 200,000 by September because a ban on foreign students bringing dependents was having a far bigger impact than the Government expected.

It would mean that Mr Sunak could go into the election claiming to be on course to meet Boris Johnson’s 2019 manifesto pledge of reducing net migration from its then level of 226,000 a year.

James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, said: “The plan to cut deliver the largest-ever cut to legal migration in our country’s history is working. This monthly data is the most up-to-date picture of visa levels, showing that on current trajectories legal migration continues to fall across key routes.

 “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.”