UK student visa applications from UAE students fall 59% — The National

In the United Kingdom, the number of student visa applications submitted by students from the UAE decreased by 59% between 2022 and 2025, from 638 to 257. In 2025 alone, the figure fell by 36% compared with the previous year, The National reports, citing statistics from the UK Home Office.

The statistics cover applications from students who were offered places on bachelor's, master's, doctoral and other higher education programmes. After a decline linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of applications recovered by 2022 but subsequently began to decrease.

Trends in the Gulf countries

The number of applications from students from Saudi Arabia decreased by 13% in 2023–2025, from 5,814 to 5,049. In Bahrain, the figure fell by 26%, from 545 to 403 applications, while in Qatar it declined by about 14%, from 1,056 to 910.

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At the same time, Kuwait and Oman were exceptions to the overall trend. In Kuwait, the number of applications rose by 11%, from 4,499 in 2023 to 5,034 in 2025. In Oman, it increased from 996 to 1,018.

Restrictions for graduates

Representatives of the higher education sector warn that the number of applications may continue to decline due to British migration restrictions. Many international students view studying in the United Kingdom as an opportunity to start a career there, but from next year graduates will have 18 months to find work after completing their studies instead of the previous two years.

The report also notes that the immigration health surcharge and the cost of student visas have increased, while the likelihood of a visa refusal has become higher. According to the government's immigration White Paper, the United Kingdom also plans to raise the general salary threshold for the skilled worker visa and abolish the preferential threshold for graduates.